Trail of Blood
by Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh
Summary: After facing expulsion, Jaune's already staggering mental health finally breaks into insanity. Backed up by a Semblance he thought useless, a weapon he forged for a prank, and the unbreakable will of a madman, he will finally get to the end of it all. If his friends care enough about him to stop him, or if he will finally be free to take his own life. Cover image by Zhero.
1. Despair

_**Hey everyone! Yeah, fortunately I'm not dead yet! It's been quite a while since my last update! Don't worry, I'll try to update The Grimm of Beacon and Hellbent soon, too, but right now I wanted to publish this small first chapter for this new story.**_

 _ **Warnings: Suicidal Theme, Dark Theme, OOCness, VBT (Very Bad Things), Blood, Self Harm. Basically I just need Rape and Murder and then I have the whole negative set!**_

Admiring his new weapon, Jaune Arc felt proud of himself.

It wasn't a very complex weapon -it didn't even have a ranged mode like everyone else's-, but he felt proud as he examined it one last time. The pole of the new weapon was made of dark pinewood, smooth and cool under his hands. The blade, long and serrated like a saw, was slightly curved, just enough to be perfect at his eyes. A more experienced crafter would've probably made a much better weapon, but it was his first time forging a weapon, much less one as sophisticated as a scythe.

It wasn't like he would use it in combat, but paired with his Semblance it would be the perfect prank. Cruel and extreme, but a prank nonetheless.

His tiny smile was wiped off when he thought of his Semblance. As if being the weakest fighter of the whole Beacon, the worst student and even the only one who couldn't channel his Aura to enhance his strength or speed wasn't enough, he _had_ to have the most cowardly Semblance ever. His Semblance, that he called Shadow of Death in a desperate attempt to make it ever so slightly better, allowed him to become immaterial. That meant that attacks passed through him, and he could pass through walls and even people, and he could even attack them. The flaw of his Semblance was that even if the others' attacks went through him, they damaged him _twice_ as much as they normally would, forcing him to use his Aura to protect himself even in `ghost mode`. He was so ashamed of his Semblance he hadn't even told the others about it. To them, he still was the only one in their group not to have a Semblance.

Besides, a useless and cowardly Semblance _wasn't_ the Semblance he needed.

He took a deep breath and sheathed his new weapon, that still had no name. The pole shrank into itself and the blade bent downwards, the sharp teeth almost grazing his knuckles. With a sigh, he put it away on his back and donned his white cloak. It was really unusual for him to wear a cloak, but he wanted it to be a surprise.

With a little smile, he pondered if he should show them the weapon first, or if he should scare the hell out of them. His smirk widened fractionally. He already had the black clothes and mask ready. Nobody knew, of course. If there was something he was good at, it was hiding things from the others. Until the day before, his own team and Team RWBY hadn't even known he had used fake transcripts to enter Beacon. He had told them, and they had asked him some time to think about it.

Well, at least they hadn't immediately accused him of cheating and reported to the Headmaster.

"Mr Arc?".

He froze, that was the default response of every student to that voice. Turning around, he saw one of the people he _really_ didn't want to see. Professor Glynda Goodwitch herself. And behind her, eleven other students. He knew each and every one of them, some more than others. Some of them had smug looks, some had disappointed looks, and some weren't even looking at him.

Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing and Sky Lark.

"Y-Yes?", he replied uneasily.

Goodwitch's expression was beyond severe, stern, or angry. She was absolutely seething icily.

"I've been informed of the nature of your transcripts", she stated, her eyes never leaving his. He wanted to glance at the others, maybe to see why would they betray him like that, but breaking eye contact with Glynda Goodwitch was about as impossible as knowing what Headmaster Ozpin was thinking. He gulped guiltily and stayed silent, and that was enough for Goodwitch.

Her anger left her, and only utter disappointed remained. "I knew you shouldn't have been here at all", she grumbled under her breath, but everyone heard her perfectly. "It's not even worth bringing this to the Headmaster. Pack your belongings, Mr Arc. You're hereby expelled from Beacon Academy. We won't report your crime of forgery, but do hurry. You're leaving with the first Bullhead".

Jaune said nothing. He couldn't say anything. It was far too sudden. He had expected, in case his transcripts were revealed, to be brought to the Headmaster, maybe to the Vale police. Not to be just told off by Goodwitch in the middle of a corridor, and sent away without as much as care in the world.

 _"It's not even worth bringing this to the Headmaster"_. That hurt.

 _"I knew you shouldn't have been here at all"_. That hurt too.

 _"Pack your belongings, Mr Arc. You're hereby expelled from Beacon Academy"_. That hurt more.

 _"You're leaving with the first Bullhead"_. Even that hurt.

But what hurt him more than anything else was that as he turned and walked, no one farewelled him. Not Ruby, his first friend at Beacon, not Nora, Pyrrha or Ren, his teammates. He didn't really expect Weiss, Yang or Blake to farewell him. And he absolutely didn't care about Cardin and the other assholes in his team.

What broke his heart was the sigh Goodwitch emitted before saying farewell. "Goodbye, Jaune".

Of the twelve people, the fact that the one who knew him less had farewelled him while the others had just remained silent was too much. His fist clenched as he turned a corner, tears ready to fall from his misty eyes. As soon as he was out of sight, he broke into a run.

/-/

"Did you see his face?", guffawed Cardin as he laughed alongside his team after Professor Goodwitch left them alone. Team NPR and Team RWBY were still unmoving, each of them looking in a different direction, none of them daring to make eye contact. "He deserved that, ha!", added Russel.

 _That_ provoked a reaction, in the form of Crescent Rose deploying and giving Russel a new haircut. A real growl fought its way out of Ruby's throat as she turned to face the bullies, eyes red and tears running down her cheeks. One after the other, all of Jaune's former teammates and Ruby's teammates unsheathed their weapons.

"It's your fault if Jaune has been expelled!", cried Ruby, and even if WBY had always thought the boy was far too weak to be attending Beacon, their grip of their weapons tightened. NPR wasn't so calm, and a few bullets whistled past Cardin's head as warning.

"Hey, I just did what you should've done in the first place!", he defend himself, knowing fully well that Pyrrha Nikos alone was enough to beat his team without a scratch, and the others weren't too far behind. There was a reason Cardin picked on Jaune: because the blond was the only one who was weaker than the bully himself. It wasn't wise to anger the seven strongest first year of Beacon. "If you don't have the guts to follow the rules, well it's not my problem!".

"Oh, but now it's very much your problem", grinned Nora, and there wasn't any playfulness in her voice, just the promise of pain.

"Why are you getting so worked up?", asked Sky, flinching when seven weapons were pointed his way. "Hey, you knew and acknowledged he was worth absolutely shit in combat, and even his grades were far behind yours, so what's the deal? We did him a favour by getting him out of here before he can kill himself in a mission!".

"We would've helped him!", shrieked Ruby, firing a bullet and creating a five-inches hole in the wall by Sky's head. "He was our friend!".

"Was?", commented Dove, who still hadn't caught up with the danger he was in. "Well, I guess you got over him quickly enough, eh? I've heard JNPR will be assigned a new student. At least he will be better than that pathetic failure".

His words weren't the best ones. Two minutes later, Goodwitch was forced to give Team RWBY and NPR detention for sending other students to the infirmary. And then they were sent back to the main hall, where they would meet their new teammate.

Along the way they passed by JNPR's dorm, but all signs of Jaune had disappeared, and his bed was spotlessly made. Saddened by his wordless departure, they headed to the main hall.

/-/

Still wrapped in his white cloak and with a bag by his side, Jaune subtly watched as his former friends, the ones who had turned his back on him by betraying his secret, talked to another student, the one who would replace him if he wasn't wrong. He sighed, keeping himself out of sight but keeping them in earshot.

Everyone seemed happy. He couldn't make out the details from the distance, but from the looks of it they were all smiling. Even Ren sported a tiny smile.

He closed his eyes as his heart ached. Not even half an hour since his departure and they already happy to have a new, better friend. He looked one last time at his former friends before exiting the hall.

Ruby, Ruby Rose, the young prodigy, his first friend at Beacon, the one who had always believed in him even though it was obvious he was a failure. She was smiling and shooting questions non-stop.

Weiss, Weiss Schnee, the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, the girl he had started to develop a crush for, was smiling too, although of course her own smile was less wide than Ruby's. Her greetings sounded polite, and if he heard right she had asked him about his past time at Beacon.

Blake, Blake Belladonna, the mysterious bookworm, the secret Faunus. Who she thought she was fooling with that bow of hers? It twitched often enough to fan herself on a hot day! And that was without counting how sharp her senses seemed to be, or the fact she could read in almost complete darkness. He had never spoken to the girl for more than a couple of sentences, but that was fine for him. She was smiling her usual small smile, but apart from introducing herself she remained silent.

Yang, Yang Xiao Long, the most horrible pun-maker he knew, and also one of the liveliest people he knew. Yang had teased and mocked him relentlessly, both about his utter lack of combat skills and the fact he had vomited on her shoes the day before initiation. Weeks had passed, but it seemed that the girl wasn't a forgiving one. She had thrown an arm over the newcomer's shoulder and was chatting brightly.

Nora, Nora Valkyrie, probably the craziest entity he had ever stumbled upon, and self-proclaimed Queen of the Castle, was grinning as usual, and she hugged the newcomer -Yang wisely removed herself for a second- with one of her bone-breaking hugs, spouting gibberish over sloths and pancakes all along.

Pyrrha, Pyrrha Nikos, the strongest first year of Beacon, the Goddess of Victory, as well as one of the most kind-hearted people he knew, was smiling kindly as she introduced herself. Apparently the newcomer was a fan, because he immediately began speaking excitedly, probably asking for her autograph, and his heart ached even more when she accepted and even laughed at one of his stupid jokes. Apparently she didn't hate her fame as much as she had told him.

Ren, Lie Ren, the silent ninja of JNPR as well as the only person he knew who preferred friends to call him by surname, probably because of the many possible puns with `lie`, was wearing a small smile on his usual neutral face as he shook hands with the new guy. He closed his eyes at that. Ren had never shook hands with _him_. He didn't know if he should feel proud of that or not.

"Yay! We're gonna be Best Friends Forever!", came Ruby's voice, a bit strained probably by the distance. Best friends forever, huh? Wasn't that the same thing she had said to him? Where did the `forever` end up?

As his heart broke with almost an audible sound, he fled the hall.

/-/

Her smile ached.

If there was something Nora hated more than waffles, it was smiling when she wasn't in the mood. She wasn't exactly the most observant of people, but it was clear everyone else was going through the same pain. Even when she hugged her new `roommate` -she refused to call him teammate-, she made sure to add just a tad more strength than usual, just to make him feel uncomfortable.

Looking around, she saw that the others weren't faring well, either. Ruby's eyes were as hard and cold as two real orbs of silver. Weiss's barely conceived glare would've scared Goodwitch. Blake's cat ears twitched in annoyance under her bow while her glare was less pronounced but also less hidden than Weiss's. Yang's eyes were red, and she heard the uncomfortable _pops_ that came from the new guy's shoulders when she passed an arm around them.

Her teammates weren't far behind. She had passed far too many years with Ren to miss the subtle hints that were his emotions, but in that case everyone but the newcomer could tell he was seething. His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were boring a hole in the skull of the other male. Surely, if looks could kill, they would need another roommate already. Pyrrha was, tied with Weiss, the most used to put up a façade, but even hers started to leak when she realized the new guy was a fan of hers. And a huge fan at that. Her eyes were two chips of emerald, and she had to keep her hands behind her back to hide the fact they were continuously clenching like claws.

Unfortunately, that boy seemed three times as obvious as Jaune, if such a thing was even possible. He ignored the killing intent that was emanating from them all and continued to shamelessly flirt with everyone, even Ruby much to Yang's great annoyance. But since it was against the rules to pummel another student to death, they had to restrain themselves. Trying to break the tension in the group, Ruby said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Yay! We're gonna be Best Friends Forever!".

 _'Snowball's chance in Hell'_ , they all bitterly thought.

/-/

Jaune Arc never left Beacon by Bullhead. The burned remains of his belongings were found right in the middle of the courtyard. Only three things were missing.

One was the sword Crocea Mors and its scabbard. The armour was found discarded near the ashes of what remained of his clothes and stuff. And even though they searched everywhere, and they asked to every single student, no one had seen the sword.

Another was his writing set, although many just guessed it had burned completely, or someone had stolen it. The professors tried to search for it, but unlike his sword that was just a normal writing set with several pens, papers and ink.

The third and last thing was Jaune Arc himself. Even though the Bullhead pilot swore time and again that Arc hadn't even boarded the Bullhead, the professor never found the blond boy in the school, either. They searched in the forest surrounding Beacon, too, knowing that the Grimm never ate their preys, preferring to leave them to rot, but even there they found nothing.

Jaune Arc was just written off as a student who had simply sneaked out of the school in humiliation for his expulsion.

Until, barely two days after his expulsion, the Headmaster called Team RWBY and the newly appointed Team SNPR to his office. He would've called Team CRDL, too, but unfortunately the four boys were still in the infirmary, nursing the wounds from the brief beating they got from Team RWBY and NPR. NPR's new leader, Saber Crimson, was not called as the call wasn't about him. And when the seven students finally arrived to the headmaster's office, it was to find the man drinking from a bottle of whiskey, and a message written in blood on the wall.

 _ **REVENGE**_

"It's Mr Arc's blood".

 _ **So...**_

 _ **I don't know how often will I update, but I hope soon enough. Otherise... wish me luck!**_

 _ **Tomorrow will arrive here a guest. That will probably cut even further my writing time. Let's just hope...**_

 _ **Anyway, bye to everyone!**_

 _ **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh**_


	2. The Start of the Trail

_**And here is the second chapter of my darkest fic yet. Forgive me if it's a bit hastily written, and I can't promise next chapters won't be hastily written, but I'm BUSYYYYY.**_

 _ **Anyway, enjoy this, if you can enjoy darkness.**_

"It's Mr Arc's blood".

The only reaction to his words was a stunned silence.

"Even if it looks fresh, I found it here this morning when I entered the office", continued Ozpin, taking a long draught from the bottle of liquor, not even bothering with a glass. His usual mug of coffee laid on the table, discarded in favour of something stronger. Even if the Headmaster's voice was as calm as usual, it was clear he was having a difficult moment. After all, he had just found the word `REVENGE` written on his wall with one of his former students' blood. He had already checked on the school database, and the result was clear. The message had been written with Jaune Soleil Arc's blood. "Glynda is already searching for anything to guide us to Mr Arc, but so far she hasn't had any luck".

The shocked silence continued as the eight of them stared in disbelief at the seven letters on the wall.

"Unfortunately, that's not all", he said, sliding a piece of paper he had found on his desk earlier that morning. On it, seven words were written in what looked like crimson ink, each word gracefully drawn by a skilled hand.

 _Ruby wEiss Valkyrie blakE Nikos yanG rEn_

"Ms Rose, Ms Schnee, Ms Valkyrie, Ms Belladonna, Ms Nikos, Ms Xiao Long and Mr Ren", Ozpin read aloud. "But the capitals make me think it was just another message. If you look, you will notice they form yet again the word `REVENGE`".

"B-But why is i-it written in b-b-blood?", stammered Weiss, not knowing which message was more horrible: the one written in large, dripping letters on the wall, or the one were the writer had obviously taken their time to write gracefully, using Jaune's blood as ink.

"To make an impression", sighed Ozpin. "Whatever you did to him, it obviously hurt him enough to make him do this. The worrisome problem is that Mr Arc couldn't possibly have been the writer of those messages".

"What?!", everyone exclaimed, even Ren who was usually composed.

"This isn't my office just because I enjoy the view of Beacon", explained the Headmaster as he got up and stared outside the giant window. "The security of this room is extreme, although to avoid... _ill intentioned people_... to spy on me, there are no cameras in this room, just like there hardly is a camera in the whole school. You're Huntsmen and Huntresses in training. You should be able to take care of yourself. But the security... there is no way Mr Arc successfully made his way here. Whoever wrote those messages, they weren't Mr Arc".

"T-Then... who d-did _that?_ ", asked Blake, shaking slightly. Even if she had once been part of a now terrorist organization, she had never seen the terrifying cliché of the blood-written message. Now she knew why they used it in horror movies.

"DID THEY HURT JAUNE TO DO THAT!?", screeched Nora, reaching for her scroll to call her weapon and hopefully break a lot of legs.

"I have no idea of Mr Arc's current conditions", sighed the Headmaster. "For all I know he could be alive and well... or he could be dead".

A _grave_ silence filled the room.

"It's too early to tell", the silver-haired man hurried to say, even though the damage had already been done. "Ms Goodwitch is already searching for anything that might guide us to him, or to who has written those messages, and I'm sure she will soon find something".

"But why us?", asked Ren, his usually impassive expression now twisted in worry. "Why not CRDL? They are the ones who had him expelled. We had nothing to do with it. We were even _okay_ with that!".

"Ms Goodwitch told me what happened", sighed Ozpin, standing up on wobbly feet due to the alcohol he had already drunk. "And none of you said you _didn't_ report him. He told you, and only you. You were the only ones who could've done it. Team CRDL just so happened to be eavesdropping... but he didn't know that".

"You mean Jaune wants to get back to us for something we've never done?", asked Weiss, eyes wide as she glanced at the word `REVENGE` written in blood. "This... This is insane!".

"I already told you that Mr Arc couldn't possibly have been the author of those messages. Only a very experienced hacker could've fooled my security system. Only a few people can come here without my direct permission, and Mr Arc wasn't among those", gravely stated the Headmaster. "And I guess we can all agree on the mental unstableness of the author of those messages. Either it's the most vengeful person in existence, or it's an inhuman entity".

"And I guess we can all agree it's not the latter", continued Ren, frowning.

"We shall search for any sign of Mr Arc, but...". He sadly shook his head. "I fear he is no more here".

"DON'T SAY THAT!". Surprisingly enough, the wrathful shout didn't come from Jaune's teammates, but from Ruby, the youngest and smallest of the group. "DON'T TALK LIKE HE'S ALREADY DEAD! WE'LL FIND HIM!".

"Ms Rose, please calm down", said the Headmaster. "Losing your mind like that won't help the research. What we can do, now, is just to sit and wait for Glynda to report".

/-/

"I've found it just now. The blood looks fresh enough, but so did the one in your office, headmaster". Glynda Goodwitch was, for lack of a better word, gruesomely bewitched by the verses. "And again, it's written with Mr Arc's blood".

The nine people were crowded together in the corridor of the dorms. The message, this time, had been written on the floor between the door of RWBY and the door of (J)NPR. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Nora, Pyrrha, Ren, Ozpin and Goodwitch were all staring at it, as if expecting it to suddenly gain sentience and try to choke them on the blood. Then the nine shivered at such a thought.

"But it's not everything", continued the blonde professor. "They left a symbol this time. Like a signature".

She pointed a shaky finger just below the message, where a large stain of blood had already dried. Carved in the dry blood there was the drawing of a scythe, its blade serrated like teeth, dark against the somehow still bright crimson blood.

"That's not Jaune's emblem", immediately noted Ruby. "Jaune has two crescents as his emblem. Whoever did this, either has used his own emblem, or is using the scythe because it symbolizes Death".

"But why should they symbolize Death?", asked Blake. It was strange how the only people who weren't shocked into silence were the ones who had already seen enough death in their lives, like Ozpin, Goodwitch, Blake, Nora and Ren, _and_ _Ruby_ , who for some seemed unable to be shocked into silence in a situation where the life of one of her best friends was in danger. "I mean, it's not like someone _died_ ".

"But Jaune might die if we don't hurry up and save him... wherever he is", stated Ren, his usual neutral expression now twisted into a determined scowl. "Those messages have a reason behind them. The author can't just be writing with Jaune's blood for _fun_. Especially if he's searching for revenge as he says".

"But why would he search for revenge against the people who _didn't_ mean him any harm!?", argued Blake. "Let's be realistic here. _We_ didn't do anything. Without any offence, professors, we would've even _kept_ his secret! Why aren't they taking their revenge against someone else?! Why us?!".

"As I said, Mr Arc probably guessed you told Professor Goodwitch, since he didn't know Team CRDL had been eavesdropping. To his eyes, you are the ones who betrayed him", explained Headmaster Ozpin, frowning at the new message on the floor. "Sometimes the half-truth hurts more than the lie... and this time it seems that half-truths have driven a madman to us. Whoever is writing those messages... their intentions aren't good. They wish us ill".

"I think we all already knew that, Professor", growled Goodwitch, her eyes darting left and right to check if the corridor was still empty but for them. "It's not like we are all dumb. Do you have any idea of who could've done this?".

"I fear my guess is no better than yours", shrugged the man. "Despite popular belief, I do not know everything. I just observe carefully".

"What now, then?", asked Ruby, looking at the two adults. "What do we do?".

"You, your team and Team SNPR will be excused by classes for the rest of the day. Take your time to ponder over this. It's not everyday a message is written in blood in front of your dorms", ordered the Headmaster, eyes fixed on the words. "Professor Goodwitch and I will alert the rest of the staff. Meanwhile, your new team leader, Saber Crimson, will be removed from your team. It's for the best. If whoever is writing those is searching for revenge, one of their first targets will be him".

The seven students exchanged looks. A specific kind of _looks_. They all disliked the boy, but they didn't want him dead or something like that. If they could get rid of the nuisance and keep him alive, they would be happy to oblige.

/-/

Later, that night, a lone figure sat cross-legged in front of the blood-written message on the floor.

Her black clothes were torn, dirty and bloodied. High boots were worn with black trousers torn in multiple places. A long-sleeved shirt with rips and cuts was worn under a black leather jacket, that presented lacerations just like the rest of the clothes. Over everything was worn a long hooded cloak that was lacerated at the bottom. Several bloodstains adorned the pieces of clothing, included the boots. On the figure's face there was a plain black mask with cracks running from the right temple down the middle of the mask. It too sported small rivulets of dried blood running from the eyes and mouth of the mask, plus a larger streamlet crossing the whole mask vertically.

On the figure's lap there was a long scythe. The bloodied blade had serrated teeth like a saw, each slightly curved to find more grip on the flesh and rip it off. On the other side of the blade, a small fanged hook completed the weapon. The dark wooden pole sported stains of blood just as well. A hand caressed the handle lovingly, as if the instrument of death were a sleeping cat.

The other hand was tracing where the words written in blood had been on the floor, following the lines and caressing the curves. From her index finger, a trail of fresh blood bled onto the floor, renewing their crimson colour and rewriting the erased message. She wouldn't let them erase her words. They had to read and read again until Madness found them, or they found Jaune Arc.

The figure retrieved her hand and stood up before turning and walking away. That was all she asked. She only wanted to see if they really cared about the boy. The plan she had in mind would work. She had been observing them, and they looked so sad... but she needed to _know_. When even Jaune Arc's own parents hadn't believed in the boy, she needed to know what Jaune Arc's friends saw of potential in him. She had enjoyed immensely when Ruby had almost beheaded the new guy, Saber something, when they had been set up for a match. The only thing she hadn't been happy about had been the fact that the small crimsonette hadn't killed him outright, but they she Ruby wouldn't have ever killed him.

She wasn't so sure about herself any more.

"Madness will found all of you if you fail", she muttered darkly, her voice muffled by the mask and twisted by insanity. "Unless you manage to find Jaune Arc before it's too late".

A demented chuckle rolled out of her mouth. "That is, if you're _good enough_ to find him. I won't let you go so easily. That's a promise from Madness".

 _ **RED LIKE LIFE, RED LIKE BLOOD,**_

 _ **MY REVENGE IS SOON TO COME,**_

 _ **DEATH WON'T SEIZE ME IF YOU CARE,**_

 _ **BLOOD WILL GUIDE YOU TO MY GRAVE.**_

 _ **MADNESS LURKS BEHIND YOUR MIND,**_

 _ **I'M ITS VOICE, I'LL SHOW YOU WHY.**_

 _ **So...**_

 _ **Tell me what you think about it.**_

 _ **Try to guess who the hooded figure is. Keep in mind that my POVs aren't in first person. The last part was written under the figure's POV. I can't write in first person. Gives me a headache...**_

 _ **Little hint: her name's Madness.**_

 _ **We will see more of her and her siblings later.**_

 _ **(she's not Jaune's sister)**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh**_


	3. Crimson Leaves

**_The first fight scene of this fic, although surely not the last, is in this chapter! It won't be a very detailed fight, heck it's very short, actually, but it fit the story._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

Team CRDL was released from the infirmary the day after Ms Goodwitch had a very rare freak-out when she found out that the message had `magically` reappeared during the night. She had been on the verge of cleaning it again, but Team RWBY and Team (J/S)NPR had yelled at her for even just thinking about it, saying that the author would just use more of Jaune's blood to write another message.

Team CRDL was so released two days after the first message appeared, and they took great care in staying as far away as possible from Team RWBY + NPR, the seven having basically become one large team ever since Jaune's disappearance, for the first times. None of them had any desire of going back to the infirmary anytime soon, but as the arrogant pricks they were, they of course didn't learn the lesson.

The trip to Forever Fall had finally come, even though it had been delayed by the disappearance of Jaune Arc, just four days prior. For technicalities regarding the inability for a single professor to look over all the students, the first years had been split into several groups. Team TTNN, Team RGGE, Team ARTR and Team DRGN would be going, for example, with Professor Oobleck -and may Oum bless their poor little _slow_ souls-, while Team RWBY, Team SNPR and Team CRDL would be going with Ms Goodwitch.

Said professor was still definitely worried about the bloody messages that had appeared, but since they absolutely didn't know who could've written them, Ozpin had just told her to relax, relatively speaking, and continue with her usual work routines. Of course she couldn't just relax when there was a madman free to run in the school and write with one of her former students' blood on the walls. She may have looked stern to a sin, but she still had a heart under all that professionalism.

"Yes students, the Forever Fall Forest _is_ indeed beautiful, but we're not here to sightsee. Professor Peach asked you all to collect a jar of red sap", she explained as the twelve students walked behind her. "And I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so. You have until four. Return to the rendezvous point as soon as you have collected your sap. You may go".

A second later, she was alone, the students all having walked away to gather sap.

Team CRDL set off on their own with five empty jars in the opposite direction as Team RWBY and Team SNPR, muttering something about how they should've blackmailed Jaune first instead of ratting him out immediately, since Cardin was sure the boy would've done _anything_ to stay in the school.

Team RWBY kept their distance from Team SNPR's leader, Saber Crimson. He was a good fighter, and his bladed tonfas had defeated more than a few Grimm already, but that the only thing they could tolerate about him. Not like he was such an asshole he didn't have any positive trait, but every time he tried to flirt, they recalled Jaune's flirting with Weiss, every time he cracked a joke they would compare it to the ones Jaune told, and he was always in the shadow of Beacon's former worst student, even if he had better combat skills. They couldn't help but apply pressure on the fact that he, compared to Jaune, knew very little strategy. His most complex strategies were retreat, hit-and-run, pincer surrounding and ambushes. He relied almost completely on Pyrrha's strength, overestimating her actual capabilities and underestimating Ren's and Nora's. He wasn't such a bad leader, all in all, but they all missed Jaune.

They would give their best to find him... and of course punish whoever had been using his blood as ink appropriately. They had spoken with Ozpin, and he had assured them that, in case they managed to get Jaune to catch up with the rest of the students by the end of the semester, he would be allowed to stay in Beacon. To tear their attention away from the revolting message that was still on the floor in front of their doors, the two teams had thrown themselves into programming Jaune's future training schedule.

Pyrrha had already said she would train his sword-and-shield fighting skills until they matched hers. Ren had taken upon himself to teach him meditation, aura manipulation and martial arts. Nora was the one who came up with the workout regime. Weiss offered her help for improving his swordplay. Yang would teach him unarmed fighting and close quarters grappling techniques. Blake would teach him subtlety. Ruby... well, Ruby would hit him with Crescent Rose while using her Semblance until he learned how to dodge.

Long story short, Jaune was in for living hell as soon as they found him.

Goodwitch had blanched when they had showed her their programmed schedule to ask for her professional advice, and had stammered something about that being the harshest training regime she'd ever seen. They didn't really listen to her. It was necessary for him to excel if they wanted him to stay in Beacon.

He wouldn't have a say in it.

They didn't even consider the possibility they wouldn't find him. They were certain they would. And when Saber Crimson had dared suggest them to relax, he had been in for the scariest five minutes of his whole life as seven students, each stronger than he himself, glared at him as if he'd just killed all their families. He hadn't tried to say another word about relaxing.

/-/

Said Saber Crimson, current leader of Team SNPR -a admittedly far cooler team name than JNPR-, was collecting sap a bit off from his group. Not for his own choice, of course. He would've been elated to stay with his new... ehm-ehm... _friends_ , but they had distanced themselves almost immediately.

Saber wasn't a bad person. He understood they had just probably lost someone they cared about and now some sort of psychopath was writing with their lost friend's blood messages of revenge against them. He didn't hold it against them. He himself had lost a few friends, most just falling out, and he would gladly give them time if it meant something to them. He knew they didn't consider him their friend. He just hoped they would warm up to him in time. He wasn't flirting with the them just to be ignore. Especially the younger redhead girl, his fellow leader, should've been honoured to have been asked out by him even if she was two years younger.

Also, he really couldn't stand all the gibberish about their previous leader.

He could understand he had been a friend, he really could. He could also understand he had been a good strategist: he had seen how Team JNPR had had a far higher score in Teamwork and Strategy class than Team SNPR. But that was it. He had talked with other students, including the ones who had -if the rumours were true- gotten him expelled. The boy had been an utter failure. No combat skills whatsoever, maybe lack of attention disorder, since he slept in class, serious self-esteem problems... the boy had been a mess. Completely unqualified to become a Huntsman.

He, instead, was definitely the perfect candidate to graduate. Maybe he wasn't at the top of his class in everything, but he got the work done neat and clean, even though he didn't particularly appreciate to study. He was also very handsome in a dark kind of beauty: six feet and one inch in height, alabaster-like skin, emerald green eyes and raven black hair that freely fell on his eyes, partially covering them. He always dressed in dark clothes, mostly black and crimson, with his symbol -a scarlet coffin- drawn on his back. His tonfas were matte black with pitch black blades and single barrel guns on the other ends. Most of what he wore was leather. He was the true definition of male hotness. He knew -and it was true- that he made many heads turn, both males and females.

He had seen pictures of the former leader of his team. He was tall and cute in a dorky kind of way, he had to give him that, but he really couldn't see him slaying Grimm or glaring at someone. He may have looked kinda like Prince Charming, but the truth was that he was an idiot with good strategic skills, who had faked his way into Beacon. Where many had trained until their bones broke and their hands bled, he had just forged a few papers. He would've gotten angry, too, and he would've reported him too. And if he had just sneaked out of Beacon in shame, Saber would've laughed at him for the delivered justice. But he understood why his teammates were so scared for him at the moment.

After all, he _had_ seen the message left in front of his room, even if Goodwitch was supposed to have erased it.

While the fool didn't deserve for his blood to be used as ink by some twisted kind of demented psychopath, he also surely didn't deserve to be in Beacon. Beacon Academy for a place for strong, sexy, badass Huntsmen and Huntresses in training... not a place for daydreamers. The one thing Saber hated more than the Grimm were the fools with a sword and a dream who thought they could consider themselves on par with trained warriors while it was painfully obvious they were inferior. From what he'd bee told about the old leader's combat skills, it seemed he could kick his ass all thorough the Emerald Forest without a problem. Nora had told him -ehm-ehm, let's say he _heard_ her say it aloud- that Pyrrha would've wanted to offer Arc to train him one-to-one, but when Saber himself had asked her to work out together she had politely declined. Even now, instead of staying with their leader, his own teammates were off collecting sap on their own, so focused on their task they didn't even see the oncoming jar of sap. He couldn't see the target nor the thrower, but it was clear it was meant for one of them.

He just shot it out of the sky with his tonfas' guns.

And then, as any good leader would do, he went to investigate. With no hurry, walking carefree, but investigating just the same. With his blades he cleared the path in front of him, cutting through branches and bushes as he made his way to approximately where he had seen the jar being thrown. And of course he found the wrongdoers.

He would've thought Team CRDL more intelligent, really. While he alone couldn't beat them all, he knew a certain _someone_ who could, and easily too. And yet there they were, glaring at him, probably -no, surely- having spotted him firing at the jar. Now that he thought about it, it hadn't been a bright idea to go alone. He could've just taken Ren with him, or Nora, without even bothering Pyrrha, or maybe someone from Ruby's team. Yang, apart from being sexy, was really strong. She could give Pyrrha a run for her money, he admitted that. Blake and Weiss were both skilled, in their own ways of course, but skilled nonetheless... although he still couldn't understand why Blake wore a bow on her head like that. And why said bow sometimes twitched. Heck, he could've even brought Ruby along, even though Yang would've had his head for that, just to chat and have a helping hand in defeating CRDL. Instead, he'd gone alone.

There was a reason Arc had been a better strategist than him.

Twirling the tonfas in his hands and spinning the blades in circles, he nonchalantly stepped forward, only to pause when _all of them_ drew their weapons, said weapons being a large mace, two curved shortswords, a gun-longsword and a halberd. Frowning, his mouth set in a hard line, he stopped pretending and fell into a ready stance, his tonfas now parallel to his arms and in front of him, ready to release a hail of bullets on them.

He shouldn't have bothered.

Before he could move a toe, the eyes of CRDL's moved from him to behind him, and he smirked, thinking that even though he had made the foolish decision to come alone, one of his friends had actually come to back him up. But when the expressions on the four boys' faces morphed from hard stares to I'm-pissing-my-pants wide eyes, their mouths forgotten slightly open.

A second later, the four boys were gone, almost leaving an afterimage in their wake.

He swiftly turned, ready to whatever kind of Grimm had sent the four running for their lives head on, hopefully keeping it at bay until his team or Professor Goodwitch arrived. His footing adjusted quickly and his right arm came up to protect his vital spots. He smirked as he thought that those actions alone classified him better than Arc who, if the rumours were true, didn't even know how to use a shield. With his left arm, instead, he fired a shot. It was small calibre, so it wouldn't do much, but hopefully he could still count on distracting the Grimm for long enough for Pyrrha or Goodwitch to reach him.

The bullet went through the newcomer's head.

Looking at _what_ had just entered the clearing, Crimson felt he could be excused for the whimper he gave. Whatever _they_ were, _they_ wore torn and bloodied black clothes and a black mask with red eyes, cracked and with blood tear lines dripping from the eyes. Other small lines of blood came from the mouth and from the top of the mask. A torn black cloak hugged _their_ frame, unmoving in the windless day, several bloodied spots on it. In _their_ right hand there was _their_ weapon, a tall and sleek scythe. He would've even dared to call it elegant, but the bloodstains on the whole weapons and the vicious saw-like blade were clearly meant more for pain than for aesthetics.

And then _they_ screeched.

/-/

A long, ear-splitting, banshee-like shriek seared through the air like a red-hot knife through butter.

Team RWBY and three members of Team J/SNPR jumped on their feet immediately, ready for whatever challenge the forest had in store for them. Pyrrha, Weiss and Ruby immediately deployed their weapons, while Yang, Blake, Ren and Nora were just wary and with weapons ready to be unsheathed.

Less than a second later, in response to the screech, they heard a terrified scream of terror.

"Saber", said Weiss, frowning and turning to the direction of the scream... only to be run over by Russel Thrush himself.

His teammates ran by, screaming something about Death itself, but Russel was caught by Yang after having accidentally bumped into her. She hadn't even moved. And after grabbing him by the collar, neither would he.

"What. Has. Happened", she stated, more of an order than a question.

"Death! It's got Crimson!", he shouted terrified, trying to fight Yang's grip. That alone proved he was indeed far too scared to notice he was trying to pull himself away by pushing with his hands on her breasts, but he just used her surprise to swat her hands aside and dash away, following his cowardly teammates.

"Saber", repeated Weiss, dusting herself off as she got back on her feet.

"Ren, Nora, go warn Goodwitch", ordered Pyrrha, gripping her weapon tighter as she dashed off in the direction of the noise. She did not like Crimson, but whatever had terrorized CRDL, it must've been really fearsome if Saber had screamed like that. It had kinda reminded them of Jaune during initiation.

"You two, go with them", added Ruby, nodding to Yang and Blake. It wasn't just to keep Ren and Nora safer: with Ren's Semblance, the two could easily avoid any Grimm they stumbled upon. It was that Pyrrha and Weiss often trained together ever since they bonded over their common fame, and often Ruby would join them because Weiss was her partner, so the three of them had better teamwork than others.

Also, they were the fastest.

/-/

Wrath wasn't happy.

She hadn't just found CRDL throwing sap at people they shouldn't have been throwing sap at, but she also had the misfortune to stumble upon Jaune Arc's replacement: Saber Crimson, the leader of the newly appointed Team SNPR. She detested the boy. Not _hated_ , because that was Hatred's job, but she really did not like him. Always so full of himself, so arrogant, so _damn flirty with everyone_. Even Ruby... Wrath had really started seeing red at that.

With Ira in hand, she scowled at the boy from behind the mask. Her scream of rage had torn a scream of terror from him, but it wasn't enough. She wasn't Madness, who would've toyed with him until he was driven insane. Wrath got the job done. Not like Agony, but still done.

A single step forward was all it took for him to whimper and step back, shooting another bullet that went through her head. She felt her Aura drop a little, but she had far more than enough. Her left hand came to grip the scythe in reverse grip. The boy lifted his two tonfas, but they wouldn't protect him.

With a single dash, she was in front of him, and her scythe came down like a meteor. He tried to block, but just like hits went through her defence, her hits could only be dodged. The serrated blade passed through the tonfas without a sound, and sliced all across his torso. Again, it went through his body, but it surely made his Aura drop.

"Saber!", called a voice, and a different kind of bullet went through her. With a vicious smirk, she spun on herself while returning to her material form, delivering massive backswing to Saber Crimson's nape, this time hitting hard and sending him flying at the newcomers.

 _'Finally, all that training has paid back'_ , she thought with an amused glint in her eyes as she turned and ran out of the clearing, uncaring of the shouts coming from behind her.

 ** _The title is, yes, a double meaning. Since they are in the Forever Fall Forest, it makes sense for the leaves to be red. And Crimson is not out of the picture yet._**

 ** _So now we have Madness and Wrath. The user_** ** _almost got them right in his review. The answer is simple and complex at the same time. Then we also mentioned Agony and Hatred._**

 ** _Just how many are behind this Trail?_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	4. Shattered into Pieces

**_Oh, look, another update so soon. And we aren't talking about Crimson nor the two teams. Today we explore someone else._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

Wrath angrily kicked the dirt as she sat in silence on the roof.

Her plan hadn't been really complex, but that was normal. She and Madness had never really been strategists. The title went to the others. Heck, even Sadness and Misfortune could plan better than them, and that was saying everything that needed to be said. Of them all, the good strategists were Authority, Vengeance, Logic and -of course- Her, the most powerful of them all. Even though she had never seen Her, She was absolutely the most terrifying of them all. She was determined, intelligent, deadly and mighty.

She was Death.

Wrath sighed softly as she calmed down. A cool state of relax and pensiveness came over her, and she understood it was time to rest. Destiny would take the lead for a while.

/-/

Destiny readied himself in the arena. Fortunately, there were no cameras anywhere in the school, a fact he was grateful for. It let him train in peace, and if someone even noticed the arena was in use, they would chalk it off as a student who couldn't sleep.

Oh, he surely couldn't sleep.

A droid came at him with its sword raised, and he just kicked it aside, not even bothering to use Fatus and instead crushing its skull under his boot. Another droid charged with a giant hammer, but a low sweep threw it off-balance, something he immediately exploited by beheading it with a swing.

Destiny was strong. While he still couldn't win against some of the others, he trained until his hands bled into his gloves and then again, until he couldn't even stand. Only then he would retreat and get some rest. He needed to get stronger. He would never be as strong as Death or as strong-willed as Heart, nor he would ever match Logic's or Authority's strategy skills.

Destiny wasn't strong enough yet. He didn't care about the other's vendetta. Wrath, Madness, Vengeance, Hatred and Betrayal all focused on getting back at everyone for what they had done to Jaune Arc, but Destiny never really took part in it. He was focused on getting better and better until he could be the master of his own future.

He would decide his destiny, and Fatus would cut through any obstacle on the way.

Another droid was slit in half by his blade when it tried to sneak upon him, but he was too used to Betrayal's tricky tactics to be fooled by a piece of metal garbage. Although he had never _seen_ Betrayal, he knew his tactics far too well. Spinning on himself, Destiny sent another droid with a longsword flying with the back of his weapon, the sharp hook somehow not anchoring into it, but he was fine with that. He hated to remove pieces of metal from his weapon. Better to destroy them cleanly.

Two more droids charged him in unison, one swinging a halberd while the other going with close quarters boxing. In a show of flexible agility he jumped on the droid with the halberd's shoulders and kicked himself off him, not before cutting it in two vertically with Fatus. As gravity kicked in and he fell back on the ground, the boxer droid threw a few punches at him, but he managed to roll out of the way. With a quick glance behind him, he turned just in time to intercept a swing from a droid armed with sword and shield. Pushing its blade back, he then swung his weapon, and the droid attempted to parry the hit with its shield, but the curved blade surpassed the protection and lodged itself into the droid's head, defeating it.

Five more to go.

Rolling out of the boxer droid's attack, he pirouetted around and cut off its arm before lodging the hook at the back of his weapon into its chest, destroying it. Then he jumped over it to dodge the mace that swung at him from behind. Those droids weren't that much of a challenge taken one by one, but he would only fight them all together. He had to get used to multiple attackers. He had to get stronger, and he would not increase the difficulty until he could beat them all without receiving a hit.

Four more to go.

He dashed under the mace wielder's swing and attacked the droid with two sickles/machine-guns, skillfully ducking under the hail of bullets, and separated its lower half from its upper half with a single swing of Fatus. The blade cut through the metal like it was meant to, even though Destiny knew his weapon wasn't meant to kill droids.

Three more to go.

Parrying the attack from the scythe wielder was relatively easy and he kicked it away to focus on the dual wielder in front of him. Instead of waiting for it to attack, he reversed his grip on Fatus and brought an upwards slash that was obviously blocked by the two shortswords. Taking advantage of the fact its weapons were now busy, Destiny smashed the handle of his weapon into the droid's face, making it stumble. As soon as his weapon was free, he spun on himself and removed the droid's legs before driving the blade home by sinking it into its chest.

Two more to go.

Ducking under the mace, he rolled back to avoid engaging both opponents at the same time. He would, in time, but at the moment he wanted to avoid even the most microscopic damage to his Aura. He needed to master this fight before moving on. As he expected, both droids charged at once, but when he rolled to the right he managed to slice through the mace wielder's leg, not hurting it but crippling its movements. Effortlessly dodging a now sloppy swing, he beheaded the droid with his weapon.

Last one.

Turning to the scythe wielder, he tightened his grip on Fatus, taunting it to attack. And attacked it did, but instead of coming at him head on, the droid used the sniper rifle to shoot him while he was still distant. Rolling out of the way, he began running around it to avoid the continuous fire, time and again using his weapon to deflect a bullet. Finally, he managed to get close enough to jump over the hail of bullets and land a hit on the droid with the handle of his weapon, not destroying it but making stumble. Fatus met the droid's scythe with a loud metallic clang, denting it of a good inch. After all, the droid's scythe hadn't been perfected time and again dozens of times by Logic, nor its upgrading had been overviewed by Death herself. Fatus was special. But the droid in front of him was no pushover. Jumping back, it began firing at him again, and this time he began deflecting the bullets with his weapon, walking forward.

But just as the droid entered his reach, a bullet managed to surpass his defence and hit his shoulder, making his Aura drop of a tiny fraction, but drop nonetheless. With a howl of rage, Destiny swung his weapon time and again, cutting the droid in a thousands pieces before stomping to the command panel and resetting the arena for another match.

/-/

The blood dripped slowly from his wounds.

Agony wasn't a masochist. He didn't _enjoy_ the pain. The pain was an unpleasant sensation that ran through his veins and his nerves like fire, lighting them up in burning torture. Pain wasn't pleasant as it blinded his vision in flashes of white, nor it was pleasant to feel his warm blood, the essence of his life, slowly ebbed away from his numerous wounds.

But pain was also an enlightening sensation. By experiencing pain, one could learn many things. Punishing through pain would assure for the punished to learn quickly to do things right. Pain opened the mind at the mortality of humans. Most people, who had never experienced real pain, thought they could endure extreme pain, only to wail and scream as soon as they got a paper cut. Pain could teach many more things.

Agony needed to get used to the pain. He had been doing a good job so far, not ignoring the fire on his exposed flesh and in his veins, but rather gritting his teeth and going through it nonetheless. It was self-torture, a twisted but necessary action he had to take. He couldn't let himself be crippled by the pain as he continued to train and slash at the droids with Cruciatus. He used his Aura to protect himself from more attacks, but not letting it heal his wounds. He needed to get used to it.

He couldn't risk to be too much in pain to move when the people who needed him were in danger. He needed to learn how to endure and move on, and continue to fight even when the pain was overwhelming. While Destiny wanted to be strong, Agony wanted to be strong-willed enough to endure the pain. He didn't want to be able to _fight it off_. No, the pain was useful. It told the body where it was damaged, and normally it also told the body when it was time to stop and rest to recover. But Agony couldn't let the pain decide for him.

Pain was important for the body. Without it, one could walk around with his side sliced open and not notice it until someone pointed it out. Agony knew that. But he absolutely needed to be able to endure even massive amounts of pain.

When the time would come, he would be ready, weapon at hand and a grimace on his face, in excruciating agony perhaps, but standing upright and ready to give it all.

Cruciatus cut through the last droid with difficultly, signalling the end of his exercise.

Looking at how long it took him, he swore loudly.

He needed to get better. He needed to be able to fight in agony just as good as he was able to fight normally. He could understand being hindered by a crippling blow, for example sliced muscles or removed limbs, but pain would never beat him. He would make sure of it.

Growling and stomping his feet, he allowed his Aura to heal his wounds and replenish his blood in his veins.

/-/

Logic didn't like to be unprepared.

Unlike his siblings, he didn't care about physical strength. With the right plan, the most powerful entity of Remnant could be beaten like a training dummy. As he studied in the library, his candles the only source of light in the otherwise dark room, he couldn't help but grimace.

He was intelligent, he was the second most intelligent of his siblings, right after Death, but he didn't know everything. His strategic skills were really incredible, and even though his combat skills lacked the might of Destiny, the fire of Wrath, the unpredictability of Madness, the precise finesse of Death, the mocking evasiveness of Misfortune, the stealthiness of Betrayal, the tenaciousness of Vengeance or the viciousness of Hatred, he was dangerous in his own way. His fights were on his own terms. He would manipulate the situations to lead the fight where he wanted it to be, and using any type of advantage he could get his hands on. But to do that, he had to be very knowledgeable, something he still wasn't.

He needed to correct that.

And that was why he was in the library now. He couldn't just let himself slack off. He needed to learn, to study, and to improve. He would let the others train in their own ways, but no one could tell him what to do. He studied ancient battles as well as politics, ranging from human and Faunus anatomy to the little Grimm anatomy that could be confirmed about the Grimm.

The books by his side were many and varied. Some books of psychology to understand his opponents, and use their weaknesses against them. Some books on Advanced Maths and Advanced Physics to better his planning and even help him in combat by enabling him to calculate trajectories, movements, arcs and forces that played during the swing of a weapon. Some books on weapons to improve Logicae to its best, making it deadlier and easier to use. He would fight only with the best. Some books on Dust to let him exploit it to his best, and maybe use it in some of the little games he would really like to drop on his targets.

He grimaced at the thought of his targets.

Soon, they would discover just how dangerous he and his siblings could be. The cold calculations of Logic, the raging inferno of Wrath, the demented unpredictability of Madness, the terrifying horror of Scare, the burning vendetta of Vengeance, the icy dread of Hatred... their targets didn't know what they were going to go through.

Personally, Logic and a few others didn't really wanted to go after them. Vengeance, Wrath, Hatred and Betrayal were the ones who insisted. Destiny, Scare, Authority, Death, Agony, Madness and Misfortune didn't really care one way or another, just like him. Heart, Light and Sadness, instead, didn't want to go after them. The siblings had argued with themselves many times, but a compromise had never been really found.

It was difficult to reach a deal when each of them had never seen the others.

Flipping the page he was on, he realized he had just finished yet another book, and growled in disappointment. Those books were just so short. But before he could reach for another book, he stopped. He tried to fight it for a few seconds, his hand trembling slightly, but it was futile.

Sighing, he retrieved his hand.

/-/

Sadness traced her finger on the door of Team SNPR's dorm one last time before turning and crossing the corridor in three slow steps to touch Team RWBY's door too.

Jaune Arc's friends. Even if some of her siblings wanted to get revenge on them, she knew it was wrong. Jaune Arc wouldn't have wanted that, and taking revenge in his name in a way he wouldn't have approved of was wrong. She wanted to make everything right. She wanted to give him back to them, maybe to kick that Crimson boy's ass out of his team, and forget about everything.

Sighing, she walked through the door and into the room.

The four sleeping forms of Team RWBY greeted her.

Yang was sleeping on the top bunk on the right, an arm bent under her head as a pillow while the other was sticking out of the bed, hand open as if greeting someone. It almost made her chuckle. Almost. Sadness never chuckled. Her mane of blonde hair was messy and unkempt, a true bedhead. Her lilac eyes were closed, but her furrowed eyebrows indicated she wasn't sleeping well.

 _"Ruby, you have to stop eating so many cookies, otherwise you'll get motion sickness like Vomit Boy", scolded Yang to a pouting Ruby who had just been denied her beloved cookies, uncaring of the fact that Jaune Arc had been listening._

Blake was not-so-peacefully sleeping curled up in a ball, as if having cat ears wasn't enough. Normally she would've been purring, but now her eyes were scrunched shut and she was wailing softly in her sleep, apparently as troubled as Yang. Her matte black hair surrounded her face, but did not cover it. Her hands were clawing at the sheets as if trying to grasp something.

 _"Why doesn't he stand up for himself?", asked Ruby, concerned as she watched Jaune Arc walking away._

 _"Because he's too weak to do it" retorted Blake, shrugging. "The strong rules, the weak obeys. That's how the world works"._

Weiss was sleeping on her back, facing the bunk above hers. But with her eyes closed. Her platinum white hair was perfectly kept trapped behind her, not letting even a single strand fall on her face. Her glacier blue eyes were closed, but even in her sleep her face held a severe frown. Her angelic features, in her sleep, were far softer than while she was awake, with no annoying blonds trying to flirt with her. Sadness shook her head with a sigh. Jaune Arc was definitely a terrible flirt.

 _"Yes, and we can try on clothes, and paint our nails, and talk about cute boys like tall, blond and... scraggly over there", said Weiss, knowing perfectly well he was in earshot and not caring one bit of having just insulted someone she had never even met before just because he didn't look the best fighter in the world and was conveniently close._

Ruby was sleeping on her side, her beautiful silver eyes closed as she dreamed on, and her dark red hair fell on her face, partially covering her soft features. Sadness sighed as she traced her cheek, thinking of all the times she had tried to defend Jaune Arc from insults and belittling whenever the argument came up in her team.

 _"But I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics", said Ruby, smiling radiantly up at him, not even realizing just how much it meant to him to have someone who wouldn't laugh at him because he didn't have a most badass multi-functional weapon._

And she still hadn't realized how ashamed Jaune Arc had been of his weapon, Crocea Mors. Logic had taken both the sword and the shield for his schemes, and Sadness didn't like what he was planning, but she couldn't stop someone she had never met.

In her sleep, Ruby frowned and wailed. "Jaune...", she whispered, clutching the sheets as a bead of sweat ran down her forehead. "No... please... come back...".

Sadness sighed softly as she caressed her cheek, calming her down a little. "He's alive", she murmured. "And if you want him back, we will give him back to you, little rose".

 ** _And here's the most informative chapter so far._**

 ** _It shows much of Their personalities and different behaviours. You could probably already guess who They are. Also, there is something in the piece with Destiny you will probably notice. Anyway..._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	5. Logical Approach

**_Hey there! Let's deal with the aftermath of Saber's brief fight with Wrath. Keep in mind that I'm writing this off-handedly, so the emotional reactions might not be totally accurate._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

"W-W-What w-was t-that?", stammered Crimson, looking at the Headmaster sitting across the table from him. "W-Why d-did i-it a-a-attacked m-me?".

"Mr Crimson, you've just undergone a very stressful situation, so please try to relax, and we'll respond to your question at our best", replied the man before turning to Ruby, Pyrrha and Weiss, all three of them sitting rod-straight. "Ms Rose, Ms Nikos and Ms Schnee, could you please tell us what did you see?".

The three exchanged worried glances, but in the end Weiss cleared her throat and looked at the headmaster. "In the forest, we heard some kind of inhuman screech, an angry screech, something not unlike a Nevermore's, and immediately afterwards Team CRDL came running through the wood, screaming something about death. We went to investigate and...".

"We found Saber fighting someone else. The stranger had black clothes and a black cloak, both stained with blood... I don't know who that blood belonged to", continued Pyrrha, her voice a bit weak in the end. "The stranger was wielding a scythe, not really like Ruby's but more slender and with a serrated blade. That too was... bloodied...".

"As soon as we got into the clearing, Pyrrha fired a shot at that person, trying to distract them from Crimson to let him escape", took over Ruby, fumbling with her skirt's hem with her fingers. "And the shot... i-it just went through them. As if they were a ghost!".

"It was Death itself, I told you!", shouted Saber, banging a fist on the table only to whimper as the solid oak didn't budge an inch. "It attacked me for some reason!".

"And tell me, Mr Crimson, why would Death itself, who I am more than sure is a very busy entity, attack _you_ , a seventeen years old Huntsman in training?", asked Ozpin, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you think it's because he replaced Jaune?", Nora made her voice heard for the first time in that meeting. "The messages, and then this... it's not a coincidence".

"Not at all, Ms Valkyrie, I don't believe that". Ozpin sighed and shifted to a more comfortable position. "If I have to be blunt, my guess is that this mysterious person is somehow an incarnation of a demon, Death, or some other sort of negative entity".

There was a shocked silence. Then...

"You're joking, right?", asked Ren, frowning. "It's impossible!".

"Although my school might lack in the live surveillance department, I can assure you I remember my students. There was no black-clothed student wielding a scythe until this moment. So it's not a student. I doubt it's a professional Huntsman, either, and a civilian wouldn't have been able to fight like you reported", listed the man, sighing again. "Also, there is the fact they have penetrated into my office to write the first message. In the legends, Death can float through walls as if they were made of air. The scythe, the blood and the dark clothes matches, too. I know I might sound crazy, but believe me, I have more than a few experiences with fairy -or in this case, scary- tales becoming true".

"Are we seriously considering this?!", exclaimed Blake, freaked out. "How can it be Death? It's impossible! And if it really was Death, how come Saber is still alive?".

"How does Faunus have animal parts even though it's obvious they aren't cross-breds between humans and animals? How can Grimm evaporate after dying? How can our souls shield and heal us? How can our Semblances give us something akin to a superpower?", countered the man, used to having to deal with sceptical people. "As for young Mr Crimson... I believe that, if this entity can really penetrate my office, it could've easily entered your dorms and slitted your throats while you were sleeping. It's obvious it's not in its plans".

"Then _what_ is in his plans?", asked Yang, her eyes red with rage. Everyone wisely leaned away from her. Even Nora.

Ozpin was unfazed. With a few taps on his personal computer, he brought up a hologram of the message written in blood in front of the two teams' dorms.

"`Red like life, red like blood/My revenge is soon to come/Death won't seize if you care/Blood will guide you to my grave/Madness lurks behind your mind/I'm its voice, I'll show you why`", intoned the Headmaster as eight pairs of teenage eyes fixed on the image. "`Death won't seize me if you care/Blood will guide you to my grave`. Those two lines are the ones I'm most interested in. Tell me, what could they mean?".

"That he's gonna die?", offered Saber, earning glares from all around.

"That we can save him somehow?", offered Weiss, frowning pensively.

"That if we show him how much we care about him, he'll come back?", proposed Pyrrha, her hands clenching in worry.

"That he has been the one to write the message, since he speaks in first person?", reasoned Ren, earning wide-eyed stares from everyone.

"If Ren's right, he might mean he's gonna kill himself if we don't find him", added Blake, much to everyone's horror.

"Of course! You are focusing on the first line, but the key is in the second!", exclaimed Ruby, looking around. "`Blood will guide you to my grave`! He means the messages! Somehow, we have to find out where he is from those!".

"It can't be the acronym", spoke up Nora. "That would be `RMDBMI`, and that means nothing".

"Also the last letters aren't okay, since they are `DEEEDY`", chimed in Yang.

"If I may, you are all partially right and all partially wrong", said Ozpin, intertwining his fingers like he always did when he was nervous. "It's is true that the messages are quite possibly written in first person, but I think that whoever has written the first has just been writing in his stead. You are right in saying he could be in danger as the line `Death won't seize me if you care` tells us. The problems are two: how can this lead us to him, and how are you supposed to `care`".

"You could make a public statement and accept him back into Beacon, and then we would all explain everything to him!", proposed Ruby.

At that, Saber coughed meaningfully, earning glares from the two teams. "While I can understand you hate my guts and all, I am your teammate, no, your _leader_ , and as such I demand the respect I deserve. You might want your friend back, but I was rightfully assigned to this team, and it will take much more than a bunch of brats to remove me from here", he said, and then glared back at them. "Yes, I said brats. You are Huntresses and Huntsmen, for crying out loud! You're not some whiny kids who want their little friend back! I'm not saying we should leave him to die, but he has been expelled for a _reason_ that wasn't pure antipathy!".

He paused for breath. "As I said, I respect your drive to save him, but I'm your leader. Until he proves himself a better leader than me, I will remain _not_ because I'm the big bad boy who wants to make you all unhappy, but because it's better for the _team!_ ", he continued sternly. "You might not like what I'm saying, but for one time, I want you all to be perfectly honest. Blunt, even".

He looked at each of them. "We're going back to _SNPR's_ dorm. By the way, I know you're even refusing to use my team's new name, and that's childish. You need to grow up", he lectured them. "Along the way, I want you to remember everything _negative_ about him. I've already been told everything _positive_ about him. Now I _order_ you to think about everything that was negative about him, and just that. It's not to belittle or insult him. It's because you're building a myth of him. If Arc know walked right through that door, he would have expectations to uphold so high he'd despair. You always hated to be rightfully put on a pedestal for your prowess, Pyrrha, and yet you do the same with Arc. He was kind. He was sweet. He was nice. He was handsome. He was funny. He was a freakingly great strategist. He could always cheer you all up. He was always there for his friends. Blah, blah, blah. Don't you realize how you're making him less human, and more of a freaking _legend?!_ ".

His words were followed by a stunned silence that only Ozpin dared to break by sending them back to their dorms.

/-/

"So", stated Saber as soon as they were all back in their dorm. "I will make each of you a question. And I want you to answer bluntly and truthfully. My question _will_ be rude, offensive and all, but I want you to be honest-to-Oum with your answers. Is this clear?".

Everyone nodded without speaking.

"Very well, then. I'll start with you, Pyrrha", he said, turning to the redhead champion. "Despite his skill as a strategist, Arc was terrible at studies. Like, he sucked at all lessons. Right? And answer _bluntly_ ".

Pyrrha bit her lip, her face twisted as if in agony, but eventually she nodded.

"I want you to say it", ordered Saber. "There will be no coming back from this".

Pyrrha took a deep breath, but it broke midway, almost turning into a sob. After a few more failed attempts, she finally managed to look up and stare at them staring at her. "Yes", she finally whispered with a broken voice.

Saber nodded with an understanding expression on his face.

"Very well. Nora", he said, and then normally lively girl actually flinched when he looked at her. "Was Arc a complete weakling when it came to physical fitness?".

The pink-themed girl tried to look anywhere but at him, and her fingers were digging holes into the steel frame of her bed as she clenched her hands. Finally, she nodded. "He was weak", she admitted shamefully.

"Keep in mind that I'm not the bad guy in this. I'm just trying to make you think", sighed Saber, and they all believed him. He really looked like one who was hurting someone else out of necessity, and unwillingly. "Ren. Despite having extraordinaire raw reserves of Aura, Arc was completely unable to focus it or to guide it, just using it to heal or shield him. Am I right?".

The usually stoic ninja of JNPR had a face like he'd not just swallowed a lemon, but an entire species of lemons with all the trees. With a small sound of disgust at himself for his weakness, he finally swallowed dryly. "Yes. He didn't even know the basics of Aura manipulation".

"I wonder how he even managed to survive during the landing in the Emerald Forest. Yes, Pyrrha, I know you nailed him to a tree, but changing the direction of his fall didn't change the _force_ of the fall. If anything, it increased it. Luckily, his Aura protected him, otherwise he would've been a red stain on a tree". Pyrrha's eyes widened impossibly at that. "Anyway, let's continue. Yang, is it true that Arc, who you called Vomit Boy for his motion sickness, was admittedly the less cool guy you'd ever had the misfortune to meet?".

Yang looked away with guilty eyes. Her irises, for once, were back to lilac, even though red had been the dominant colour in the previous few days. "While he wasn't the worst... he was admittedly not `cool`", she replied as she bit her lip.

"Hey, it's alright, it's not a trial", Saber tried to reassure them, but it didn't work. "Blake. From what I understand, you lived in a harsh world. In that world, Arc wouldn't have been allowed to live, given just how pitifully weak he was, right?".

Blake had undergone many traumas in her live, from having to run away from home to discovering that her boyfriend had turned into a psychotic sociopath. But even she was finding it difficult to flat-out insult a friend whose blood had been used to write messages regarding his death on the floor. Yet, she ignored everything her mind said and instead nodded. "Yes, yes would've died for sure".

"Second to last, Weiss", he went on, and the heiress paled even more than his usually alabaster-like complexion. "He often flirted pathetically with you. Is it true that you would've rather eaten dirt before going on a date with him?".

Weiss was conflicted. Her father had taught her how to keep a straight face even when lying, so she could just lie her way out of it, but part of her needed to punish herself by saying those words. "Yes... I was that stuck-up".

"This isn't about you, Weiss, it's about Arc. And last, Ruby. He was your first friend here at Beacon, right?". Without waiting for an answer, he went for the kill, having ignored Jaune's most important flaw. "Arc was a pathetic excuse of a fighter. He didn't even know how to use a shield, the most basic defensive tool. He was by far the worst student Beacon has ever had, and the worst leader too. Is that true?".

Ruby's eyes went wide and she began shaking her head in denial, refusing to confirm such a hurtful statement about her first friend at Beacon and the only person who treated her not like a child but as anyone else. He absolutely refused to let this sorry excuse of a leader slander her friend. Her eyes filled with tears, but seemed to be shining far more than normal in the otherwise darkening room, like two beacons of light cutting through the darkness. She would've gladly gotten up and torn that motherfucked apart with her very own hands to erase the very source of such a statement. She wouldn't just sit and let his friend be insulted like that. She glared at Saber. "No", she growled, her eyes illuminating her face eerily. "He was undoubtedly untrained, but he wasn't weak. During the initiation, he still managed to hold off the Death Stalker with his team. And as a leader, he was leagues better than you will ever be, because he knew and cared for his team as people, and not as glorified Grimm-slayers".

Saber looked at her, unafraid, for the longest time before nodding slowly. "Yes. That was truthful... from your point of view, at least. You really do believe that, be it true or not", he said, turning around to look at everyone. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, blank space, masked stranger, blank space. Yes, everyone was still listening. "I just wanted you to think about i-AAAAAHHHHH!".

When he realized that `masked stranger` shouldn't have been there at all, and was actually looking at them from halfway through a wall, he proceeded to scream as loud as he could, reaching for weapons that weren't there since they were all in their uniforms. Everyone jumped back, and eight teenagers crowded the far end of SNPR's dorm.

"How interesting", said a cold and muffled voice from behind the mask. They couldn't be sure, but it sounded male. Without a sound, the stranger slipped completely out of the wall, his face turned to face them. Yang threw a punch at him, but it just went through him as if he was thin air. Blanching, the blonde brawler then backed away and rejoined her friends in the back of the room.

"I couldn't help but overhear you", continued the stranger. "But first, allow me to introduce myself. I am Logic, and this is my weapon, Logicae". The newly named Logic pulled a scary and bloodstained scythe with a serrated blade. Weiss, Pyrrha, Ruby and Saber blanched at seeing it again in first person. "I was here to give you a suggestion, but the snippet of conversation I've heard was really worth it. Anyway, I should really go".

The masked person stepped back, half-disappearing into the wall, but stopped at the last second. His hands twitched as if he had just felt a surge of pain, but it passed quickly. When he spoke again, his voice was no more cold, but rather burning with spite. "You won't find Jaune Arc if you just sit around. But heed my words", the figure said, their voice now with a slightly higher pitch. "The Trail of Blood has started, and it will only have two possible ends. Jaune Arc's survival... or death. My siblings and I will guide you, but beware: if you aren't ready to give it all to save him, you will fail".

Then the figure disappeared into the wall completely.

The eight finally screamed.

 ** _So..._**

 ** _Now we have a few of the siblings in play. Madness is the writer, Wrath has actually fought them, and Logic visited them. But let me make a sum-up of the siblings we've mentioned this far:_**

 ** _Madness. (appeared)_**

 ** _Wrath. Her weapon is Ira. (appeared)_**

 ** _Destiny. His weapon is Fatus. (appeared)_**

 ** _Agony. His weapon is Cruciatus. (appeared)_**

 ** _Logic. His weapon is Logicae. (appeared)_**

 ** _Death._**

 ** _Light._**

 ** _Heart._**

 ** _Authority._**

 ** _Misfortune._**

 ** _Sadness. (appeared)_**

 ** _Hatred._**

 ** _Vengeance._**

 ** _Scare._**

 ** _Betrayal._**

 ** _Fifteen of them. Whew, what a family. Anyway, in time I'll tell you the name of the others' weapons. For now that's all._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	6. Broken Memories

**_Okay, this will be a mini-arc (is that how they're called?). Probably three or four chapters. Anyway, it will be recognizable because the title will always have the word `broken` in it._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

It took them a good hour to calm down, and after that no one really felt like talking again.

Team RWBY and Team SNPR slept in the same dorm, RWBY's, that day. No one was really surprised. The four-girls-team accepted to sleep on the floor, as long as they didn't have to sleep alone in their own dorm. They all woke up pretty early and, despite being quite tired, they dragged themselves out of the dorm, not even needing to change into their uniforms since they had slept in them.

Breakfast was a very quiet matter, and since they informed the Headmaster about their run-in with the entity that called itself Logic, they had been excused from classes for that day. In the Headmaster's humble opinion, eight seventeen-year-old -seven, plus a fifteen-year-old, actually- teenagers deserved a break after having had such a traumatic encounter.

After breakfast, Saber proposed they went to Vale, but he was immediately shot down quite literally by Nora while the others just glared at him meaningfully. They knew he didn't mean any harm, but they could not share his easiness on the situation.

And so they decided to have a walk before returning to their dorms, or actually dorm, since they had all agreed to move SNPR's beds into RWBY's dormitory. Nobody wanted to sleep in the dorm where that thing, Logic, had penetrated. It was stupid, since it could easily enter RWBY's dorm just as well, but they didn't care. Their dorm was their sanctuary, where no terrifying black-masked monster would be waiting for them.

"Here you are".

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!", they all screamed girlishly -six of them rightfully since they _were_ girls- as soon as the black-clothed figure spoke.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to harm you, but rather to give you something... and warn you", continued the figure, raising a hand to stop them from running away. It didn't work completely and they did stepped out of the room, but they didn't flee. "My name is...".

"Logic, we know", replied Ruby, scowling at the stranger, clenching her fists. "And you are writing messages with Jaune's blood!".

"No, my name is Heart. As for my weapon, its name's Cor", countered the masked person. The voice sounded female. "I know of your run-in with my brother Logic, and that is one of the reasons I came here".

The Beacon students exchanged looks, and Ruby gestured to Saber that what they were about to talk about wasn't his business and he could walk away -which he did, running-, then Yang stepped forwards.

"Explain".

/-/

After everyone had sat down on the beds, the entity called Heart closed the door, proving her form was material, contrary to Logic's. That idea was quickly dispelled when she peeked into the corridor from _through_ the door to make sure no one was listening. Then she turned to the girls plus one boy, although with Lie Ren you were never sure. Only his deep voice saved him to be undressed to prove his masculinity.

"My name is Heart, and you've already met three of my siblings, Wrath, Logic and Vengeance", began the woman, if she could be called woman. They still didn't know who or what she was. "We look exactly the same, so I understand if you don't believe me outright, but I'm on your side".

"Then give Jaune back to us!", exclaimed Ruby, furious.

"I can't. I'm not the one who has him. Death might be able to control all of my other siblings and reach a compromise, but I'm not Death. She's my sister, by the way", continued Heart, and for a second her rambling reminded them of Jaune. It did nothing to lift their morale. "All I know is that he's prisoner in a place none of you can reach without Death letting you".

"Then we want to speak with this Death!", shouted Nora, cracking her knuckles Yang-like.

"Death won't just show herself. As one of my sibling already told you, the Trail of Blood has started. You can thank Madness for the idea, by the way. The only way for you to speak with Death would be to reach the end of this, and it won't be easy", argued the... woman? Supernatural entity? Incarnation? Avatar? Whatever. "But I want you to know that not all of us are against you. Hatred, Vengeance, Betrayal and Wrath are the ones who are against you. Light, Sadness and I want to help you, but we can't go against our siblings. Most of the others just don't care. Madness is in just because she's mentally insane".

"All those names are crazy", moaned Yang, taking her head in her hands.

"They define what we are. I just wanted to tell you that the message in front of your dorm won't be the last. Madness will probably leave another one tonight or soon enough. And to tell you to be always wary. We can't lie on our name since it defines our very being, so always ask for our name when you meet one of us. Betrayal might try and get close by playing nice, so you must be careful", warned Heart, looking at each of them in turn. "I know what you said when Logic was eavesdropping, and I know you actually love Jaune Arc very much, but those words made Logic, Agony, Scare and Destiny most of all hate you. In their mind, you badmouthed him behind his back".

"But we...", began Pyrrha, but Heart shut her up.

"I know. But some of my siblings are... not in their right mind. Just be sure to have no one overhearing when you speak of him. You might not like what comes out of one of my siblings listening", she darkly joked, and then sobered up. "But this is not why I'm here. I came here to give you something. Something you must _never_ show to anyone else. I did this against my siblings' will, so they might try to take it back. I suggest you read it immediately. I will try to keep control of my siblings for as long as I can, but I can't fight them. I just hope my willpower will endure such a challenge".

From the folds of her cloak, the woman took out a small notebook -book, not computer-, and handed it to Ruby. On the cover, written in blood-red letters and obviously made much later than the rest of the book, there were three words.

 _ **Jaune Arc's Diary**_

Ruby's eyes shot back up, but the woman was already gone, as if vanished into thin air. Glancing at the others, she found them looking at the door, slightly creeped out, and she guessed the masked woman had exited the dorm without bothering to open the door. Their expression would've been hilarious, but she had more important things to do at the moment.

"It's his diary", she said, and then began to read aloud.

/-/ Jaune Arc's Diary /-/

 _I hate Bullheads._

 _I don't know why, but I had to get the worst case of motion sickness in the planet. In a world where no one suffers from motion sickness any more, I had to be the Chosen One for this crap. Well, I guess I'm surely worthy of it. We match._

 _Later, in the courtyard, I stumbled into a cute redhead girl named Ruby. I didn't let her adorableness and innocence fool. She fights with a freaking scythe-sniper rifle hybrid that's bigger than she is. Of course, she's the one who told me what it was. Oh, and apparently she made it herself. I guess just something else that differentiates me from everyone else here._

 _Me, from true Huntsmen in training._

 _Let's move on from that. I already wasted a few diaries because I wrote all my esteem problems. I'm messed up, and I know. My sister always did say that under my serenity there was a dark sea whose waves crashed against the shores of my mind. Yes, my sister has always been poetic. She even begged me to take a psychiatric visit. Turns out I do have something. Something along the lines of `Mr Arc hides his problems behind a happy façade and keeps people away from his darker side. To anyone, he's the happy-go-lucky boy who always smiles, but he's actually a troubled teen. Unable to let others help him with his problems, he seriously risks inner depression`. A lot of crap, if you ask me. I_ _ **am**_ _happy. I just so happen not to like to be deadweight. I've been deadweight my entire life, thank you, I've had enough._

 _Somehow, I'm now here at Beacon, walking (more like running after) a young prodigy who didn't even have to send any kind of transcripts (fake or not) to get into Beacon. My forging skills, apparently, are the only remarkable thing about me. I still don't get how Ozpin hasn't discovered my obvious forge by now._

 _In the atrium, a beautiful girl with white hair insulted me. Just like that. I was `tall, blond and scraggly over there`. She never even met me. She didn't know my name. She insulted me in some kind of argument with Ruby. I wanted to prove her I wasn't that bad, and I started to `hit on her`, as many say. Apparently, I_ _ **was**_ _that bad, since she turned me down with about the same expression as someone who just noticed to have stepped over dog shit._

 _Well, it's not like it's anything new to me, so it didn't hurt that much. It didn't hurt at all, to be honest. I didn't even know who she was, so it's not like I knew we could work out. I was just trying to prove myself better than what she thought. Apparently, either she has high standards, or I'm really pathetic._

 _My money is on the second. Sure, I know that a shield must be used to shield your body (Oum, that pun was awful, but I'm writing in a hurry so `shield` will do) and a sword is used to attack, although you can also shieldbash. I know those things. The fact is that I can't move at hyper speeds, I can't punch through a wall with ease, I can't jump thirty meters into the air... the list is too long for me to put in this diary._

 _Right now Ruby, a tall blonde and the girl in white are arguing. There is another girl, a cat Faunus with black hair and a bow on her cat ears who's watching. Her bow is twitching in annoyance. I pity her. For her Faunus senses, the ruckus they are making must be even worse_

/-/

Blake blanched when Ruby read aloud of her heritage, but no one looked surprised. Seeing her shocked expression, Weiss looked up and snorted. "Your bow twitches by itself. Everyone in this school knows you're a Faunus, apart from maybe Team CRDL", she said, raising an eyebrow. "We just thought you liked to keep a bow on. Were you really trying to hide it as your face says?".

"Ehm...".

/-/

 _I still can't believe what happened today._

 _After waking up, changing into my daywear and eating breakfast, I walked to the lockers' room. Mine was number 600-something. Just how many students are here in Beacon?! I mean, if they have 600 students, that means that around 150 of them are fourth years, let's say 100 because many drops off or fail to graduate. This means that, with the other three academies, Remnant has, every year, 400 new Hunstmen. Eight first years, one of which a miserable faker, took down two large Grimm, a Giant Nevermore and an old Deathstalker. How is it that we're still fighting the Grimm? 400 new Huntsmen a year would wipe the Grimm from the face of the planet in a second._

 _But let's continue with that morning._

 _In the lockers' room I bumped into the girl in white and a tall redhead with bronze armour. I personally think her armour reveals far too much skin and protects around zero, but I keep that for myself. It's her stuff, after all. And besides, some armour is better than none like Snow Angel beside her._

 _Then I get my head chewed off for both not knowing who the redhead was and for flirting with the girl in white (who now I know is called Weiss Schnee of the Schnee family. Her family is definitely not on my `like list`, but I'll give her a chance to prove herself different since she wants to help others by becoming a Huntress). The redhead, Pyrrha Nikos, is apparently a very famous tournament champion._

 _And now she's on my team._

 _It's ironic, really. She'll probably despise me if she discovers what I am, a faker. I'll admit: at first, I didn't like her. I never liked tournament Huntsmen. People who fights other people just for the glory of it, the fun, and the joy of the public, plus the money of course. A Hunstman's job isn't to fight innocent people, nor to be glorified entertainers. The fact that Huntsmen and Huntresses are also the hottest people on Remnant and their combat outfits are often quite revealing or adherent surely turns on the audience's rating (oh Oum, another pun! And a dirty one! Ugh). But Pyrrha seems nice. She unlocked my Aura (now I know what Grandpa always said I had a lot of. According to him, enough that even locked it protected me. That's probably why now I'm here writing instead of being a red smear on a tree). She's nice, kind, smart and always ready to help. I wonder why Ozpin did not make her the leader._

 _No, Team JNPR's leader is Jaune Arc, me, a faker, a forger, a bumbling idiot, and someone who will get them hurt._

 _After the assignment of teams, I tried talking to Ozpin to convince him and make Pyrrha or Ren the leader (even I know Nora wouldn't work), but he was adamant. Then he dropped a hint that was subtle enough to almost pass unnoticed, but I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose. He said `your transcripts depicts you as a good leader, Mr Arc. I just chose the best out of you four`. Damn that man. With his stubbornness with keeping me leader, he's gonna have my team hurt..._

 _No. I will die before letting my team get hurt. And if that means stepping between an attack and my teammates, I'll be glad to die that way. They are far stronger than me. If they live, they can make a much larger difference. I would just drag them all down._

 _Of course, they don't know about my hesitance. Apart from my initial shock, I'm acting as if everything's alright. I just hope I'll live up to the goal I've chosen for myself._

 _I'm seriously doubting my choice to try and enter Beacon._

 _Everything's shitty here. Since I didn't go to combat school, thanks to my father, I'm unarguably the worst student of Beacon ever. I've actually had Professor Goodwitch ask me to talk after class the first day, although she was worried about me. And not without reason._

 _She asked me if I was sure I was willing to continue Beacon. When I confirmed, she suggested me to try and train as hard as I could. Behind her stern appearance, apparently she cares. She didn't care about my weakness, saying that if I managed to attend Beacon, I was fine. But she did notice my lack of skill, and she was worried I might get bullied._

 _Well, she absolutely called it. Basically a third of the female populations of first years bullies me, while the males are at two thirds. The worst of all is Cardin Winchester and his team, CRDL. He won't let me breathe. Knocking books out of my hands, activating Crocea Mors's shield to get me stuck in a doorway, shoving me into rocket lockers and launching me off. I still have bruises and cuts for the way back from the Emerald Forest. Apparently, the Grimm are fooled by my happy-go-luckiness too, so they weren't too many. I'm not at Ren's level of emotion control (the guy barely shows any emotion at all, it's like trying to read a book with just a candle in complete darkness, without being a Faunus). And while I am improving, being beaten down every combat class isn't enough for me to catch up. I managed a hit or two, but my body isn't ready for this level of fight. I should work out first. Everyone in this damn Academy (apart from Professor Port) is as hot as hell in pure body condition. I personally wouldn't date a lot of the students. The body ages, so if I will find someone, it won't be after their bodies._

 _Anyway, I mentioned Professor Port. He's a strange guy. His stories are exaggerated, but I noticed a few things during his lessons. He's always attentive toward his students. Even if he does not show it, he keeps track of every student. I guess that's how he noticed the tension between Ruby and Weiss, and he had the pep talk ready for when Weiss went to talk to him. Another thing I noticed is that his stories are exaggerated only in some parts. He might start a story of fifteen-year-old him killing an ancient Deathstalker with a banana peel, but in the middle of the stories he tells how difficult it was for him to fight an Ursa with his Blunderbuss axe after he had run out of ammo. And then, at the end of the story, he's back to the banana peel and a Beringel. Whose fault had been to have eaten the banana, apparently. He's making a fool out of himself, but who knows why. Maybe to see if the students can really pay attention and stay focused even through complete boredom? Well, that's my best bet. But I think everyone listens. I mean, being a Huntsman does not just mean being strong. You must have other qualities too..._

 _I'm starting to doubt that. Ruby's sister, Yang Xiao Long, trashed a pub in Vale just because they didn't have the information she wanted on her mother, and she got away because her father and uncle are Huntsmen teachers. Her crime and mine are obviously different, since mine can get people hurt while hers can't, but every time I see her I think of how little Huntress-like she appears. She's after the adrenaline and excitement, not after protecting people. That's an extra bonus along the way. She's here for the fight._

 _Weiss seems even less incline to help people. From what I've deduced from their conversations, she wants to break off from her father's influence and make a name for herself. Basically, she's here for her own pride. Well, both of us are prideful, but I guess that mine is worse. After all, my pride is keeping me from admitting I've cheated, and it's putting my friends into danger and ridicule for being my friends._

 _Blake... I honestly can see she's searching for Faunus equality. Apart from smut, that's all she reads about. But by hiding who she really is? I mean, if she really wants to fight for the Faunus rights, she shouldn't be hiding her ears (they are quite cute, actually. I wonder if she can purr). She should be proud of who she is. It might be hard to withstand the insults and racisms, but we're in a Huntsman Academy. And she's more than able to fight. Also, she has friends to back her up. All of us know she's a Faunus. Well, it's not difficult to see. I just pointed it out with my friends. None of them looked particularly fazed by the news. I had to stop Ruby from petting her, and that was hard. Thankfully, having seven sisters immunized me from the puppy eyes. Anyway, I understand Blake. I too should come out clean with my friends and tell them everything, but I can't. I'm scared. I'm a pathetic coward._

 _Ren and Nora (I'm writing them together, yes together-together, because that's how everyone addresses to them. They're basically one single entity) wants to become stronger and they want to destroy the Grimm. That's a noble goal but... they never mention_ _ **protecting**_ _the people. They never mention their families, so if I have to guess something happened to them, namely the Grimm, and Ren and Nora still have the scars from that. I can understand that. I lost a dear friend to a juvenile Deathstalker that poisoned her. My father screamed at me not to stay and defend her because she was already going to die, but I fought nonetheless. I ended up at the hospital, poisoned, for that. Only my hypothetically large amount of Aura saved me. My father never wanted me to even bring up the Huntsmen topic after that. He said that I would die in vain if I ever tried, defending some civilians without hope to survive. I'm proud to say I really would. Nobody deserves to die alone, abandoned by the people sworn to protect you. The least I can do is to hold their hands while they live their last moments._

 _Pyrrha is a very kind person, but her reason to become a Huntress really irks me. A lot. She's basically the polar opposite of me. She was born with a definitely overpowered Semblance (she calls it Polarity, she can control magnetism and magnetic fields), and so she can move her opponent's weapon so for them never to touch her. She wants to become a Huntress because she feels that's what she has to do. That's bullshit. A Huntsman must_ _ **choose**_ _to become one. She does want to help people, but like Yang that's on the optional side. She_ _ **has**_ _to become a Huntress. The irony of the situation almost makes me laugh. Also, I'm annoyed by her hatred for her fame. She hates it, and yet she does nothing to stop it. She could've just not become the Mistralian Champion for four years in a row, for starters. She could just using her Semblance so much in fights. She doesn't even dodge any more. Everything is just a fake to hide her Semblance. But yet again, she might think she_ _ **has**_ _to win every fight. One day, that'll get her killed and her team in shambles, I am sure of it._

 _But, hey, I'm just a faker, a liar, a cheater and a forger. What right do I have to judge them?_

 _Ruby, instead, has her heart in the right place. People might think she's naive and innocent, but she does know what's like in the world. The horrors of it. When she says she would like the world to become a fairy tale, people laugh at her. Actually, she's right. I too would really like a happy ending, and if I die to provide it to my friends, that's fine. I'll see them in the Afterlife. She is ready to fight and die for the happy ending she dreams. Just like a hero in the fairy tales. I honestly shared much with her in that field. Both of us wants to help people, and that our_ _ **main**_ _and_ _ **true**_ _goal._

/-/

The seven minus Ruby couldn't bear to look at each other. Jaune was right about them. Huntsmen and Huntresses weren't there for fun, for strength or for destiny. It was a job, a job you had to take by your own volition, and it was a job that required dedication.

Ruby sighed before continuing.

 ** _If you think about it. It's true. People at Beacon aren't Huntsmen and Hunstresses in training. They are shit-eaters. They aren't there truly for the people. Just as WBY tells Oobleck in Mt Glenn. And Jaune's calculation about the Huntsmen is true. Where the heck are all those Huntsmen? If the Beacon's students are so powerful, what the heck can professional Huntsmen do? RT really messed the power tables. They should keep track of how powerful each character is. That's what_** **I** ** _do._**

 ** _Anyway._**

 ** _So, not all of the siblings are malevolent or indifferent._**

 ** _I also made up a reason for why Jaune's father did not train him. It's bullshit that his family is alive, he comes from a family of heroes, his father himself is a hero, and yet he's not trained at all and his Aura is still locked. Jaune's father must've had a reason for keeping him sheltered, for Oum's sake!_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh._**

 ** _PS: do you remember the friend of mine who made me write porn? He had to this time (spinning bottle game for writers, another friend of mine chose porn as the gerne of the spin). We four read it and then voted it. For the first time in the history of porn, it was possible to let children read it, and it had an overall voted of -4. Yeah, he's not good at porn. None of us is, actually._**


	7. Broken Down

**_Hey! Yes, I'm having a lot of free time, so I'm writing this flash-fast. So, this is the second part of Jaune's diary. The title says all._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

The seven huddled together on Weiss's bed as Ruby began to read again. However, in their heads, their were pondering.

 _'Is he right?'_ , wondered Yang. _'He has always been very kind to us, but it's evident he could've been far ruder and still be in the right. I_ _ **did**_ _trash a pub just because Junior didn't know anything about Raven... and I still don't know if he was hiding something or being truthful'_.

 _'Am I really that prideful?'_ , mused Weiss, looking out of the window. _'I_ _ **did**_ _turn him down quite harshly, but I never thought about it. I just saw a bumbling idiot trying to ask me out with stupid pick-up lines and all that stuff, and I've had my fill long before coming to Beacon. He's right, I came here for my name, but is it really just that?'_.

 _'He was right, I shouldn't have hidden my ears'_ , pondered Blake. _'I shouldn't be ashamed of my heritage. How am I supposed to fight for the Faunus' rights, if I myself try to pass a human? It's hypocritical. Somehow, I have the feeling he wouldn't care if I told him about my past with the White Fang. He just doesn't seem the type to judge you for that. He'd let my actions prove my innocence, not my past'_.

 _'He's right, we really are here because of our hate for the Grimm, even if just one particular Grimm'_ , thought Ren and Nora together, but not together-together. _'We do want to help the people, but our drive for all these years has always been to become strong enough to kill the Knucklelavee. We wanted to avenge Kuroyuri's destruction, and although we did want to help the people... our hate for the Grimm was stronger. We've been survivors for so long, we could never go back to normality'_.

 _'Do I really act like that? Do I really act as if I_ _ **have**_ _to become a Huntress?'_ , Pyrrha asked herself, biting her lip. _'It's true I use my Semblance to deflect every attack, and that I'm really out of practice in fighting an opponent who can actually hit me... maybe he's right? But what would happen if I lost a fight? Can I really afford to lose? It's my destiny to protect Remnant... is it? Or, like Jaune says, should it be my dream and my goal?_ _ **Why**_ _did I really want to become a Huntress?'_.

/-/

 _It's getting worse._

 _Everyone's bullying me. Well, not everyone, but that's the impression. I can't even study in the library without my full team that some jackass comes up and picks on me, stealing my books or knocking me off my chair. It's not annoying now, it's more. I hate it. I'm angry because I_ _ **am**_ _improving, and I know that if I take them by surprise I would be able to beat them. Someone maybe without the surprise. But that would just blow on the fire, and violence would just escalate. I can't beat them all. I am working out on my own since the gym is off-limits for me, that's where all the bullies group up because they think themselves so big and badass. True power isn't raw strength. I learned that by seeing Ren fight. His built isn't powerful in terms of brute strength, but he's still a skilled fighter. Also, he knows where to hit. I'm borrowing lots of books about fighting from the library now, and I'm studying in the courtyard to stay away from everyone._

 _But it's useless. They just won't let me breathe. And to think those will become the Protectors of the Weak. I don't believe it. The teachers do nothing, too. What, are they waiting for me to be_ _ **murdered**_ _before acting? I'm getting beaten to an inch of my life several times a week, thank you very much. My friends know nothing, of course. I couldn't bear seeing them ruin their reputation and status by standing up for a failure like me. I'm exactly where I belong and I deserve to be: on the ground, at the feet of the strong._

 _The strong lives, the weak dies._

 _The strong rules, the weak obeys._

 _Maybe I should obey. Or maybe not. The dorm doors can be opened by scroll, but I doubt they remember to lock them like I always instruct my team to. It would be easy. I already get out in the middle of the night to train and study, so I would just have to change direction for a minute or two. It would be retribution. Payback. I should've paid them back a long time ago. I'm not the strongest fighter here, absolutely not with Crocea Mors, a sword that doesn't even belong to me, and I'm not the brightest student here. I would be expelled just for that, but thankfully Beacon never expels students for that. Those students simply do not pass the yearly exam and are kicked out. I think I should get back at them before they really send me to the hospital. And I know the time for that is near. I never activate my Aura when they beat me down, so I can then use it all to heal and appear untouched, but sooner or later, they won't stop. It will just take a bad day for them. More homework than usual, stressful classes, maybe a fight with Pyrrha gone wr... as expected, and they won't be stopping. I have to do something before they kill me._

 _I could kill them first._

 _It wouldn't even be difficult. Crocea Mors is, if anything, always sharp. I just have to wait for them to be sleeping, and plunge it into their throats to prevent them from screaming. A simple purge. And after that, I could easily kill myself. I have no intention to be detained as a psychotic sociopathic murderer. It would just take one night._

 _I could do it tonight..._

/-/

Ruby was paling further and further as she went on reading, but Yang put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's a diary. He snapped out of it. Nobody died, and he did nothing. Everything's gonna be fine".

/-/

 _I told them. I told them about my transcripts._

 _And they betrayed me immediately. Not like I was expecting anything else, but they even brought CRDL along to enjoy the show. Maybe they were in coalition with them since the start? Not Ruby, she's far too kind for her own good, she wouldn't have done it. And yet she, just like the others, did not meet my eyes as Goodbitch expelled me. And a fucking professor was the only one who farewelled me. None of them even looked at me._

 _Not like I expected anything else. I'm a fucking liar, a fake, who should've died in the Emerald Forest. I did not deserve my place in Beacon. But being fucking betrayed like that, clear and clean... it hurt more than anything else. All those fucking beatings, all those fucking bullies... mere flies. Annoying, many, constant, but just fucking flies. That?_

 _That was the ground giving out under my feet. It was being swallowed into a crack in the ground never to crawl back out again. It hurt so much I cried. I went into the courtyard and I cried. Of course, an asshole found me. He did not know about my expulsion, otherwise I'm sure he would've laughed even more. He mocked me and picked on me. I lost it completely. I did not send him to the infirmary, and from what I've seen and heard he even pretended nothing happened to spare himself the humiliation of having been beaten by Jaune Arc, the failure, the joke, the poor excuse of a fighter._

 _The poor excuse of a human being, he even called me._

 _I attacked him. I slashed and hacked and swung and hit until he could stand no more. My anger was burning like never before. I wanted to kill him. Just like that. A clean swing and his head would be rolling in a nice fountain of blood._

 _That's when they began to talk to me._

/-/

"They?", everyone asked.

/-/

 _They spoke at me, some trying to help me, some berating me, but all of them were familiar. Warm and known. They all wanted to help me, and some of them did it by pointing out where and what I had to improve. I knew what I had to do. I followed their instructions._

 _Then everything went black._

 _Days have passed._

 _They are still here, talking to me, still trying to help me, but now I understand. They are here because I lost it. I somehow called them here. They never spoke to me before. I see everything from something like a black cloth... a blindfold, maybe?_

 _Days have passed, and to pass the time I listed the ones I interact with the most. I do not know if there are others, but I suspect there may be more._

 _Here is a quick list of them, their weapons and their fighting styles._

 _ **Madness**_ _. Insania. She uses agility in her fights. She's completely insane, but to me she has the warmth of a mother and a sister._

 _ **Destiny**_ _. Fatus. He hates to lose, and simply fights at his best. He can use agility, strength or subtlety if he needs to. In a way, he remembers me of Pyrrha. Always at the top. Only Death is stronger than he is, from what I know._

 _ **Death**_ _. Mortem. Just like Destiny, she simply fights. She's the most powerful of them, and the one who speaks most to me. Sometimes I think I've gone insane, but she sounds kinda like Ruby. Maybe because Ruby is a Reaper, too?_

 _ **Agony**_ _. Cruciatus. One of them I really don't like. He cuts himself open before training. He says he needs to learn to endure the pain, but I don't know. Sure, it's useful, but the amount of blood he loses... Madness collects it, though, so technically it's not wasted._

 _ **Betrayal**_ _. Proditio. He often talks, just like Vengeance, with me about the betrayal of my friends. He says to have heard from Logic (apparently another one, but I do not speak with him often) horrible things my friends said about me... I would really like to deny it, but I know for a fact They never lie to me. I don't know why, but they can't lie to me. Maybe it's because I somehow summoned them?_

 _ **Vengeance**_ _. Vindicta. She often talks about getting back at my friends, but I don't really listen to her. I believe each of them is the incarnation of their name, so it would be apt for her to be like that._

 _There are others, but I don't talk with them often. They just do their things and leave._

 _I honestly thought that madness would be different, but I feel perfectly normal. But it's obvious I'm insane, since I hear the voices of figures dressed like Death with scythes in their hands. I just hope they're not causing them too much trouble. Vengeance and Hatred wanted to hurt them badly, but they stopped when I menaced to do to myself the same things they would do to them._

 _I'm in a dark place now. I'm scared, and I want to go back. I want to go home, I want to see my friends again, but every time I see them, is by the eyes of one of Them._

 _I miss them so much._

 _And now I'm crying again. Maybe I should just end it here and now, so even if they manage to finish whatever twisted game They have in store for them, they won't find themselves burdened with_ _ **me**_ _. I... I'm improved... I've gotten better. But do I really deserve them after everything? After everything they will have gone through to find me, will I really be worth it? Or will they throw me away like the trash I am._

 _Those doubts plague my mind. And here is the darkness. I can feel it ag_

/-/

"Why have you stopped?", asked Pyrrha, annoyed.

"The word ends there. Then we have five pages of meaningless gibberish", replied Ruby. "Oh, wait! There is something before the end. It looks like... a very short poem?".

/-/

 _Red like life, red like blood,  
their revenge is soon to come,  
Death won't keep me if they care,  
They will guide them to my grave;  
Hatred lurks behind their backs,  
and Betrayal is readying to attack._

 _Alone, scared of the dark as I am,  
left here for what's soon to come,  
They will find them,  
They will lure them,  
They will push them  
over the edge of the chasm of madness itself.  
They will fight them,  
They will beat them,  
They will kill them  
unless I find the strength to defeat Death itself._

 _Silver, ice, amber, amethyst,  
turquoise, emerald, azalea.  
The wheel of fortune has turned,  
it's the monsters' round now,  
I'm forced to sit and watch  
as They tear them apart.  
I can only hope they will atone  
before the day's dead, before the Sun's gone._

 _Rage is building up inside me,  
hatred for the ones who left me,  
my vendetta will catch them all,  
and will my rage on them befall.  
I'm screaming in agony and fright,  
left all alone in this endless night._

 _ **HELP ME!**_

/-/

"That was a thing", Yang breathed out. "And... it was... _really creepy_ ".

"I agree", murmured Blake, her eyes still fixated on the words `HELP ME`. "And... from what he wrote... he doesn't... he doesn't seem mentally stable any more".

Ruby, Pyrrha and Nora glared at her, but Ren frowned. "What makes you say that?".

"At some point, he said he wanted to kill other students. He wanted to go psycho over another student", she explained. "It's true they bullied him but... just how far did they take that bullying? For him to be ready to _murder_ them?".

"This does not mean anything!", exclaimed Ruby, outraged. "He's not crazy!".

"I did not say _insane_ , Ruby, I said mentally unstable. His mind might break at any moment. We have to find out just how much he was bullied, and deal with the bullies before They, whoever They are, find them", replied Blake, frowning in concern. "We're neck deep in a crazy plot with blood-written messages and avatars from Death. I doubt _any of us_ is mentally stable any more. I just said he could be in need of psychiatric help".

"He doesn't need it!", retorted the small crimsonette. "He'll be fine as soon as They will be gone!".

"No, Ruby, look at the poem. At the fourth strophe. In the first four verses, he's clearly angry, and wants revenge for what he perceive we did, but immediately afterwards he is scared and asking for help. He's mentally unstable", reasoned Blake. "Also, look at the first strophe. It's a slightly different version of the message we found in front of our dorm. Whoever wrote that, they clearly were inspired by Jaune's poem. It's creepy. And what does it mean `I can only hope they will atone/Before the day's dead, before the Sun's gone`? Is he talking about today? Or yesterday? When is this day?".

"But why all the gems and stuff?", asked Nora, tilting her head sideways.

"He means us", whispered Ruby, her eyes never leaving the diary. "Our eyes. Silver for me, ice for Weiss, amber for Blake, amethyst for Yang, turquoise for Nora, emerald for Pyrrha and azalea for Ren".

"Listen, why don't we all take a walk?", proposed Yang, taking the diary from Ruby's hands and placing it on the night stand. " _Without_ this. You will drive yourself insane if you...".

She was interrupted by the door opening to let Saber Crimson himself in.

"Uhm, guys?", he called out. "I think you should really see this", he said, pointing out of the door. The seven got up and walked to the door, looking where the boy was pointing. On the wall, right beside Team RWBY's door, a second message in blood was waiting for them to read it.

 _ **ALONE, SCARED OF THE DARK AS I AM,**_

 _ **LEFT HERE FOR WHAT'S SOON TO COME,**_

 _ **THEY WILL FIND YOU,**_

 _ **THEY WILL LURE YOU,**_

 _ **THEY WILL PUSH YOU**_

 _ **OVER THE EDGE OF THE CHASM OF MADNESS ITSELF.**_

 _ **THEY WILL FIGHT YOU,**_

 _ **THEY WILL BEAT YOU,**_

 _ **THEY WILL KILL YOU,**_

 _ **UNLESS I FIND THE STRENGTH TO DEFEAT DEATH ITSELF.**_

 _ **Another little hint to Their identities is found in Jaune's diary.**_

 _ **So... what will come out of this. Madness has apparently decided to write another little, funny message with Jaune's blood.**_

 _ **In the next chapter, we might have another look at Them. If you want me to write it, PM me (no review regarding work, from now on, please. I already made that mistake with The Grimm of Beacon), voting for which of Them to write about. Death is off-limits, just so you know.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh**_


	8. Broken Teams

**_Here I am, back after a while. I told you I'd be back._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

"Okay, what does this mean?", asked Saber, both frightened and angry. "You ask for ten minutes to deal with that thing, and now there's another message here. I'd have guessed you'd have killed it, but no... instead, now we got another freaky message on your dorm's outer wall".

"Crimson, shut _the fuck_ up", growled Yang. "I say we stick to our previous `plan`".

"Which was?", asked Nora, slightly afraid.

"We find the ones who bullied him the most", immediately replied Ruby, her eyes hardening. "And you, Saber, are going to be a good guy and lay low for...ever. Better not to take any chance. And absolutely _don't say anything about Jaune_ , if you want to keep your skin on your flesh and not dangling from Ozpin's tower".

Saber shivered and could only watch helpless as they sprinted away, keenly aware of being now alone. He thought about it or a moment, but then he decided to just man up and return to his dorm as if nothing had happened.

"Who do you think we should look for first?", asked Yang as they ran, Ruby holding herself back not to outrun any of them. "Cardin?".

"He was the worst, sure", nodded Blake, and then frowned. "But I don't know if he'll actually know of many others".

"Can't hurt trying", stated Nora, stumbling and rolling back on her feet without breaking her run. "Then we'll move to the names he'll tell us, and then to others, and others, until we got the whole list. Then I break all of their legs".

"You're not the strongest fighter here", said Pyrrha, frowning. "I'm betting Vero Tear and his team bullied him too. Tear is very strong and he absolutely despises anyone who is weaker because they're weaker, and anyone who matches him or beats him because they're stronger".

"How strong is he?", asked Ren, furrowing his brows.

"In his team, he has a pyromancer, an illusionist, an Auramancer and a chronomancer", replied Pyrrha, frowning. "He is the Auramancer. That means he can deactivate all Semblances and Aura around him, expect for his. There is a reason he's so strong. He's very dangerous, too, especially because even if he's not _evil_ , he likes to see his opponents struggle hopelessly as he beats them".

"And someone like _that_ has been allowed into Beacon?", inquired Weiss, incredulous. "He's basically a sociopath!".

"His family's influential. He was the only one who could ever beat me, too, so he's also skilled", sighed the redhead. "His teammate Niall Wizard's Semblance can't really stop time, but he can accelerate or decelerate it at will. It costs him a lot of energy, though".

"Then let's visit Certified Asshole Vero Tear", growled Yang, her eyes red. "I had nightmares about this damn _Trail of Blood_ , tonight. If he's one of the causes, he's gonna pay".

"He's too strong", said Pyrrha, shaking her head. "I doubt even I could defeat him. His team's the strongest in the Academy. I've heard they cheated to be all on the same team, too. We can't just face them head on".

"The hell we can't", snarled Yang, clenching her hands so tight her knuckles cracked. "We _will_ ".

"Yang, listen to Pyrrha", said Ruby, frowning. "If she thinks we can't take them, we can't take them. Sometimes, in our lives, we will meet a threat that will be stronger than us. We just have to accept it".

They turned a corner and, obviously, crashed into several someones who just so happened to be walking in their direction. Well, they weren't walking aimlessly, so they _had_ a reason to walk towards Team RWBY's and SNPR's dorms. Also, the four students were exactly the ones they had been talking about until a second before.

Vero Tear rose to his feet quickly, arrogantly looking down at them before smirking. "Oh, look there's the team of pussies and my new team. How fortuitous to meet you here", he grinned widely. "It's really fortunate. Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, may I speak with you for a second? Or we can speak here, it's not such a big deal to me".

Yang was having none of that. Instantly skipping the part of `have you bullied Jaune?`, the part `why did you do it?` and the part `who else bullied him?`, she immediately went to the part where she pounded him several feet into a wall, and she did exactly so, breaking his nose while she was at it. Nora added her own two cents by punching him hard in the sternum, an attack she had learned from Ren, to stun him and rob him of all air. "We know you bullied Jaune, you sorry bastardized excuse of son of a bitch", Yang growled as she readied another punch. "And we're gonna make you regret ever coming to this world".

"Yes, I've heard what has happened to that pathetic loser", laughed Vero, grunting when he received another punch. Then he sighed and the next punch ended with a bone-breaking noise. Yang cried out as she held her broken hand and Vero looked at her in commiseration. He had used his Semblance to negate her Aura, so her unprotected hand's bones had shattered against his Aura. His Semblance really was too overpowered. "And I must say, he got what he deserved. If he's so weak, then he can also die, for all I care".

Seven students glared at him for that, but without Aura against four, one of which with Aura and Semblance still active... they knew they would lose.

"Aaaaanyway, Professor Ozpin informed me of your current leader's risky position, SNPR", he continued as if nothing had happened, letting Yang endure the pain as he kept his Semblance on. It was straining after a while, but for a few more seconds he could manage. "Since whoever wrote with that crybaby's blood could try and eviscerate Crimson, Ozpin asked _me_ to take part to your pathetic team. Really, I've accepted only for you, Pyrrha".

"How kind", she growled.

"So, since I'm the strongest first year here, Ozpin decided I would be the safest, in case this mysterious idiot appeared again", he finished with a smile. "In that case, I'll introduce his head to his own ass, clarifying how the position of team leader is for the strong, not for some pathetic worm like Arc was. Anyway, now I'm the team leader of Team VVPR, Team Viper"

Team NPR nearly spat on his face. "You?!", shouted Weiss in outrage. "An animal that takes pleasure in seeing other suffer and abuses of his power, using it not to protect the weak like it's meant to, but to make others' lives miserable?! You should be their team leader?!".

Vero's smile wasn't a true one, nor it was pleasant. "Exactly", he said without a hint of mirth in his voice. "So now, Team VVPR, let's go to _our_ dorm. Better get ready. Also, forget this ridiculous manhunt for that son of a whore Arc. I bet right now he's fucking his mother, so don't worry, he's fine".

"Vero Tear", said a voice that made them all halt. For Team TTNN, Vero's former team, it was unknown, but for RWBY and NPR, it was disturbingly familiar. "Come to me".

Vero looked around before laughing. "You'd think pranks were to be made on someone stupid enough to believe them", he said in mirth. "Not to people who aren't afraid of disembodied voices".

"I am not disembodied", said the voice, his tone monotone yet creepy at the same time. "I am Scare".

Pyrrha looked around before focusing on Vero. He was an asshole, but she didn't want him to get killed by one of Them, whoever They were. "Listen, Vero, don't ever follow voices coming from nowhere, nor coming from black-clothed people-like figures. They're dangerous", she said hurriedly, and noticed Yang and Nora slump. They'd probably hoped for Tear to follow it and get torn a new one. "They are the ones who wrote the messages. They are dangerous. Ozpin is... well, not afraid, but wary of them. You should, too".

Vero nodded solemnly before smirking. "So you are the one who caused all this mess?", he asked aloud. "Good. Let's just give you a lesson you won't forget, and let's finish this now".

Pyrrha almost face-palmed, but the voice beat her to it. "Not here, Vero Tear", it said with a small chuckle. Honestly, it was flat-out creepy. "In the basement. Below it. In the dungeons of Beacon no one has explored for a long, long time".

"Pft, do you think I'm scare of the dark?", he asked with a smirk. "I've got a pyromancer with me. Come on guys, let's show this asshole who we are. It'll be a final team bonding day for us, before I join Pyrrha's team". He grinned wider. "Oh, and rule number one: we stay in the same room as we change. In exchange for the protection I'll give you, a few looks should be a fair payment. If you want, you can change in a corner".

His team laughed with him, apart from the only girl, Amy Null, a fox Faunus, who simply shook her head and sighed.

Needless to say, all of Team RWBY and NPR were ready to punch Vero straight in the balls, even Yang who still had a broken hand. But again, the voice stopped them in their tracks. "You try that, Vero Tear, and Betrayal will slit your throat in your sleep", it said flatly, as if giving out a fact. Which it kinda was. "But I suggest you to watch yourself from corners, Vero Tear. There might me more than you expect".

Vero scoffed and, just to spite the voice, walked up to the corner of the corridor. "See?", he said as he turned it, making a grand show of gesturing how worthless said action was, since nothing would be waiting for him behind that corner. "Noth-".

Obviously, there was _something_ behind said corner.

With a screech not unlike the one they had heard in the Forever Fall Forest, the bloodied figure jumped forwards, running straight into Vero and toppling him over, but not before having clawed at his face. The surprised boy could only widen his eyes as the gloved fingers scratched his cheek right under his right eye, leaving five faint red marks to remember him of their existence. And since the action had utterly broken Vero's focus, his Semblance didn't help him any. Without a further word, the figure that had called himself Scare disappeared through a wall. The three present teams could only breathe in silence as they processed what had happened.

Vero was the first one to get back up, growling. "He thinks I can be easily defeated, uh?", he said, angry. "I'll show that son of a bitch what Vero Tear can do. I'm gonna beat him to an inch of his life, fuck his sisters in front of him, and then continue beating him until he begs for mercy. Only then I will give him to the police. That asshole still has to answer for the damage to my reputation".

Pyrrha was about to speak, but Yang put her now Aura-healed hand on her shoulder to stop her. "he deserves whatever he gets", she whispered. "But if he can defeat an Avatar of Death, or whatever they are, well... I guess I'll admit he's stronger than us".

"But...", she tried to protest, but Yang shook her head.

"No, Pyrrha", said the blonde. "You, Ren and Nora will simply move into our room, I'm sure Ozpin will allow it. He's just donning the mask of team leader to lure that monsters to him. And while they tear him apart, we will have to come in with a plan and defeat them".

"I'm surprised you, of all people, would've been the one to speak of a plan", dryly noted Weiss. "But I think we should first go back and finish Jaune's diary. I don't know how many pages are left... but I don't think we're done already".

Ruby nodded and turned to leave, ignoring Vero's calls and everything else. Ignoring everything, actually. She and her friends made their way back to their dorm, quickly distancing the bullies even if one of them was a time manipulator.

Less than five minutes later, the seven of them were already seated in RWBY's dorm, the diary open on Ruby's lap as she continued from where she had left off the last time, namely the strange poem They seemed to be taking inspiration from.

/-/ Jaune Arc's Diary /-/

 _Everything is changing, and yet nothing has changed._

 _I'm trapped in the darkness, and yet I can see the light._

 _They talk to me, and yet They never talk to each other._

 _It has been a few days now. I don't know what I'm gonna do, but probably I'll just let them decide for themselves. They always know what to do. Destiny is always training, Logic is always planning and studying, and Death..._

 _To be fair, She's the only one I'm really afraid of. The others are all kind, even Wrath and Madness, to me, but she's... different, somehow. When she talks to me, she's kind and soft, but the things she says... they burn and freeze and twist my being. She talks to me about darkness and the oblivion, about the obscure side every human has and about the burden I carry on my shoulders. She's offered to remove that burden, too... I just need to forget everything. To forget my family, a family who ruined my dream because they were too selfish to let me go. To forget my tormentors, people who liked to bully and pick on me just because I couldn't and wouldn't fight back. To forget my pains, from the pain of not being enough to the pain of not being accepted by others. To forget my insecurities, from my self-esteem problems to my doubts about myself and my bonds. To forget my friends, friends who didn't waste time in having me kicked out of Beacon as soon as they discovered my fake transcripts. To forget my transcripts, my last and desperate attempt to fulfil my dream._

 _To forget my life, and lose myself in the oblivion of Death._

 ** _There are a few hints to the nature of Death in both this and the previous chapter. I'm not telling which ones._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	9. Revealing What's Broken

**_Hey everyone! This chapter has been edited something like a month after being initially updated because a reviewer pointed out how I got the calibres wrong. I'm sorry, I should've looked them up before making a fool out of me. Here are the (more or less) fixed calibres._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

"This is getting creepier and creepier", shivered Yang.

"I can only agree", confirmed Ren, looking around at his friends. "We'll go talk to Ozpin about this... right?".

"No", replied Ruby, shaking her head in disagreement. "While we should inform Ozpin of how little we like for that asshole to be our team leader, we won't bother him every time we are crept out".

"About that... Vero Tear", said Pyrrha, slowly and warily. "He's a... a bastard of the worst sort. Ozpin wouldn't have put him as our team leader except for his strength. If what he said is true, then the Headmaster fears that whoever will replace Jaune will end up killed. So he decided to risk as little as possible by assigning us the strongest first year. His logic is... unarguable, but... I fear Tear will only enraged Them further. If they didn't like Saber... I fear Tear won't survive long".

"Fuck his life", Blake blurted out, and many stared at her for the rudeness. "I'm tired of this, guys. I've not slept a good night ever since Jaune has disappeared. Tear was, is and will be an asshole. He is the worst kind of bully, especially because he's _powerful_. Fuck, his fucking Semblance negates all Aura around him _but not his!_ I've basically never ever _seen_ a Semblance that strong!", she argued. "If he can survive, fine, fuck his life nonetheless and don't mess with us. But if he dies? Well, hasn't he said _personally_ that the weak dies and the strong survives? Good riddance, then".

Pyrrha and Ruby were shocked by her logic, but Yang piped in before they could reply. "Blake's right, Tear deserves everything he will get. He harassed basically two thirds of the whole first year population of Beacon, and a good slice of the second year", she said, her eyes turning red. "Even if he gets killed... heck, he basically _wished_ Jaune to die and he was fucking _serious!_ Are we really training a bastard like him to be a powerful Huntsman?".

"And let's not forget that those black figures haven't harmed any of us yet", Nora threw in her own two cents. "It's unlikely they will outright _kill_ him, but even so... many good Huntsmen and Huntresses die almost on a daily basis. The _good_ ones. The bad ones like him often become criminals like Torchwick. Why should we even care?".

"And besides, remember what Jaune wrote in his diary?", completed Ren, looking around. "Except for Ruby, none of us is here to help the people. For us, it's a side objective. And while I'm sure all of us will work hard to fix that... we still haven't fixed it. We're still not here just for the people. So, do we _really_ care about Tear dying, or are we just _pretending_ to care just because it should be the right thing to do?".

"What do you mean?", asked Ruby, her voice shaking slightly.

"He means that we all have a dark side, Ruby, and it's time we accept that dark side to be a part of us", explained Weiss, her eyes trained on the boy who spoke. "He's right. I... I actually don't really care if he dies or not. Sure, it'll be a pity and all that, but I don't _know_ him, and I don't _care_ about him. If he had disappeared in Jaune's place... I wouldn't have even _thought_ about searching for him. Would you have?".

Six pairs of eyes were lowered. "So that's what we are?", asked Ruby, dejectedly. "We care only about our friends, and good riddance to everyone else?".

Weiss looked at her and sighed. "Not so extreme, but you're close to home with that statement. We're Huntsmen, Ruby. We _will_ give our life to protect people", she explained. "But the fact is: _we_ get to decide which people to protect. Would you protect a rapist, or a murderer, Ruby? After seeing them tearing a child to shreds in front of your eyes, would you still save them from the Grimm?".

Ruby looked away.

"I know, it shouldn't be our place to judge. We should protect everyone equally", took over Blake. "But we're people... What we often forget, is that we're not machines. We're people, and as people we're biased, flawed, and with ideals".

Ren put a hand on her shoulder. "But, if it makes you feel better... I doubt the real Jaune would've protected a murderer, either".

"The real Jaune?", she asked, confused by Ren's choice of words.

"I fear that the boy we all knew was just part of the true Jaune", he said gravely, and then sighed, grabbing the diary and flipping back a few pages. "He says it himself. He hid his dark side, pretended it did not exist. His... let's call it Light... would've defended even a murderer from the Grimm, even if just to arrest him himself and send him to jail or whatever. But his dark side... his Darkness... I have no idea of what he'd do. The real Jaune, the sum of both Light and Darkness... knowing only one of those sides, I can't tell what he would do. Probably leave the murderer to die to the Grimm".

Everyone shivered at that. "You mean that we've been friends with only a part of Jaune, this far?", Pyrrha asked dejectedly. "That we haven't been able to see past his disguise and we've been fooled by his fake cheerfulness?".

Nora looked at Ren before sighing and putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Pyrrha", she said, truly apologetic. "But... yes, we haven't really known Jaune".

"I wouldn't put it like that", interrupted a voice they all knew, and they turned abruptly as Headmaster Ozpin walked into the room. His right hand was devoid of his usual mug of coffee, but instead gripped his cane. "It's more like you've known him only partially, and now you have to get to know his... dark side? Yin? Whatever you might call it, it's still part of Mr Arc".

"If you say so, Professor", muttered Blake, lowering her gaze before raising it back abruptly. "But I wanted to ask you why did you assign Vero Tear to JNPR's leader position, sir, because, to be frank and speaking my mind freely, I've been asking myself _what the fuck where you thinking_ when you put that miserable excuse of a human being. And that is to lie about him. To tell the truth would be saying he's a fucking bastardized version of a fucking human Grimm".

In the stunned silence following her words, Ozpin sighed. "I know fully well of Mr Tear's behaviour, and before you ask me to expel him, let me inform you that even within this school, I am not the true ruler. The Council is. And his father happen to be in the Council, and have many high-placed friends. I can't kick him out, even if I really want to", he explained shortly. "Beyond that... I have to admit that he's strong. Stronger than any of you. If someone can really defeat whoever is behind this, and at the same time is a first year, then it's the perfect combination. You will get Mr Crimson back as soon as this problem as been solved. Mr Tear won't risk to die, or at least he has a bigger chance of survival against Them than Mr Crimson".

They weren't happy. It showed on their faces and their angry shifting, but they knew that he was right. Even if they weren't happy, he was right. Heck, even Ozpin himself wasn't happy about it, but the logic was undefeatable. It was simply minimizing the danger to his students. "Moving on to another matter... have you decided how you will call whoever is behind this?", he asked with a slight frown. "Calling them simply _`Them`_ is gonna make a lot of confusion. I think it's best for you to have a specific name for them".

Ruby, Pyrrha, Weiss, Yang, Nora and Ren simply shrugged helplessly, but Blake nodded in agreement. She had read books about it. Naming the unknown made it less scary, and less unknown. "We'll have to come up with something, Professor", she said. "But we'll think about it. Meanwhile, we wanted to ask you to let Pyrrha, Nora and Ren sleep in our dorm. We aren't gonna leave them anywhere near Tear".

Ozpin sighed and nodded. "I think it's for the best", he said. "Mr Tear and his team are as arrogant as they are strong. It would be best to minimize contact between you and them".

"Gladly", coldly retorted Nora, scowling at the empty air. "Hadn't it been his Semblance, we would've kicked his ass hard enough to get it at face level. But yet again, it already is, since he's a dickhead".

Ozpin sighed again and turned to leave. "If I've heard right, you have one of Mr Arc's diaries, am I correct?", he asked just before reaching the door, peeking from over his shoulder.

"Yes. You heard us?", replied Ruby, frowning slightly. The man shook his head.

"No, I haven't. I came in earshot just in time to hear Mr Schnee talking about leaving Mr Tear to die", he replied, and said girl looked away, ashamed of her own words but not regretting having said them, because they were the truth. "I know because I've found a message on my desk, this morning, written... in the usual way... telling me to give you this. It was signed _Light_ ".

He reached into the strange recesses of his suit and took out another small note book, wrapped in bloodstained newspaper. Yang took it, since no one else wanted to, and unwrapped it before running a hand through her air. "It's... it's another diary", she said tiredly. "A different one, evidently. Our covered generally all his stay at Beacon... what will this speak about?".

"Nothing of real interest", said Ozpin. "Just a few thoughts of his about several subjects. I simply thought you would've liked to have it... whoever this _Light_ is".

"It's one of Them", explained Pyrrha, rubbing her eyes. "As far as we know, not all of them are... _evil_... and evidently Light is one of the good ones. We've already met Heart, too, so we know they can be good. Also, they apparently can't lie about their names, so it should be safe".

The man nodded before turning and leaving the room, behind him seven tired and mourning teenagers. He shook his head sadly. _'They're too young to be already enduring hardships like this'_ , he thought.

/-/ Jaune Arc's Notes /-/

 _Ruby Rose_

 _5' 5''. Black hair with red tips. Silver eyes. Human. Colour theme: black and red. Cheerful. Hopeful. Sometimes childish. Determined. Serene. Weapon: Crescent Rose (scythe/sniper rifle hybrid. Scythe: 7' 3'' per 4' 4'' per 3'', Gravity Dust and steel alloy to make it lighter. Sniper rifle: 5' 3'' per 8'' per 3'', 56 calibre, Dust rounds as well as automatically generated common rounds by inner Fire Dust generator). Fighting style: speed over strength, wide swings to compensate for lack of strength, rifle at long distances. Semblance: speed._

 _Weiss Schnee_

 _5' 7''. White hair. Ice blue eyes. Human. Colour theme: white and light blue. Cold. Prideful. Calculating. Sometimes harsh. Loyal. Caring. Weapon: Myrtenaster (rapier with Dust revolving barrel: 4' 3'' per 4'' per 4'', Density Dust and steel alloy to make it more resistant. Dust contained: Ice, Fire, Lightning, Air, Earth, Gravity). Fighting style: precision and finesse over all, quick and sharp strikes aided by Glyphs, Glyphs and Myrtenaster combined for ranged combat. Semblance: Glyphs. Most require Myrtenaster as source of power and Dust._

 _Blake Belladonna_

 _5' 10''. Black hair. Amber eyes. Cat Faunus. Colour theme: black. Mysterious. Reclusive. Well-read. Intelligent. Subtle. Suspicious. Weapon: Gambol Shroud (katana/gun/kusarigama hybrid. Katana: 4' 3'' per 5'' per 2'', Density Dust and darksteel alloy to make it more resistant. Gun: 6'' per 6'' per 2'', 26 calibre, Dust rounds as well as automatically generated common rounds by inner Density Dust generator. Kusarigama: 6'' per 6'' per 2'', stretchable ribbon as rope, no counterweight). Fighting style: openly aggressive, defensive use of her Shadows, if powered by Dust aggressive use of her shadows. Semblance: Shadow Clones._

/-/

"Dear Oum", murmured Yang as Ruby read. "He's kept tabs on each of us... and accurate ones, I'd say. That's why he asked to see our weapons, and why he watched us so keenly during spars".

"I guess it's his dark side's paranoia showing", guessed Blake, eyes narrowing. "But if They had this diary, it means They know its contents. And thus how we fight".

"Great", said Nora, giving an explosive sigh. "Now they also have the upper hand in fights. What's next? They have intimate knowledge of all of us? What? Were we best friends in another life?".

Ren put a hand on her shoulder. "Nora, calm down", he said. "Let's continue to read. Also, maybe Light gave this to us before they could read it. Apparently, at least Light it's on our side".

Pyrrha glanced at the others before looking back at the notes, sadness in her expression and in her voice. "Does this mean he didn't trust us?", she asked. "If he kept tabs on us... does that mean he expected to have problems with us, and prepared beforehand? None of us has kept tabs on each other thus far, so why him?".

"He was bullied by many", sighed Blake. "It's probably he expected us to bully him too, and he prepared. For all we know, he might have never even considered us very close. We can't tell".

Ren looked away. "It seems our relationship wasn't as strong as we believed", he whispered. "And now that is broken... only now we realize just how fragile it had always been".

/-/

 _Yang Xiao Long_

 _6'. Blonde hair. Lilac eyes, turn red when active Rage. Colour theme: yellow. Lively. Bright. Teasing. Party-girl. Sisterly. Caring. Sarcastic. Weapon: Ember Celica (shotgun gauntlets: 10'' per 4'' per 4'', Fire Dust to enhance her Rage, 35 calibre, Dust rounds as well as automatically generated common rounds by inner Fire Dust generator). Fighting style: CQC, boxing, little to no use of legs, predictable but unstoppable. Semblance: Power Rage._

 _Nora Valkyrie_

 _5' 6''. Ginger hair. Turquoise eyes. Colour theme: pink. Energetic. Cheerful to a fault. Naive. Bright. Happy-go-lucky. Loyal. Weapon: Maghnild (warhammer/grenade launcher hybrid. Warhammer: 6' per 1' 2'' per 1', Density Dust and steel alloy to make it heavier, can launch grenades like in launcher mode. Grenade launcher: 1' per 1' 2'' per 1', Dust grenades automatically generated by inner Fire Dust generator). Fighting style: aggressive combat, absolute strength, wide swings for built-up force. Semblance: Electricity Conversion._

 _Pyrrha Nikos_

 _6' 1''. Red hair. Emerald eyes. Colour theme: bronze and red. Serene. Helpful. Kind. Determined. Confident. Always apologizing. Weapon: Milo (sword/javelin/spear/rifle hybrid. Sword: 3' 2'' per 4'' per 2'', Fire Dust and Density Dust and bronze alloy to make it faster and more resistant. Javelin: 5' per 4'' per 2''. Spear: 5' 4'' per 4'' per 2''. Rifle: 3' 9'' per 3'' per 2'', 308 calibre, Dust rounds as well as automatically generated Fire Dust rounds by inner Fire Dust generator) and Akouo (round shield: 2' 7'' per 2' 7'' per 3'', Density Dust and Gravity Dust and bronze to make it lighter and more resistant). Fighting style: opportunist, aggressive, defensive, mastery, precision, agility and speed. Not particularly strong but her Semblance backs up every hit to make it hurt more. Semblance: Polarity._

 _Lie Ren_

 _5' 11''. Black hair with pink lock. Pink eyes. Colour theme: green. Calm. Relaxed. Serious. Unfazed by the world. Loyal. Quiet. Determined. Weapon: Storm Flower (dual machine-gun/sickle combo. Sickles: 1' per 1' 4'' per 2'', Air Dust and steel alloy to make it lighter. Machine-guns: 1' per 1' 4'' per 2'', 22 calibre, Dust rounds as well as automatically Air Dust rounds generated by inner Air Dust generator). Fighting style: martial arts, agility and speed over strength, outmanoeuvring the enemy. Semblance: Hide from Grimm._

/-/

"We should _really_ have a talk with Jaune as soon as he gets back", said Pyrrha, paling slightly. "Not many can guess that my weapon has both a javelin and a spear form. His dark side really _is_ paranoid, and that's not good...".

"Not good?", repeated Weiss, incredulous. "He measured all of us, and all of our weapons! It's almost like he's preparing an am...bu...sh...".

"Shit", swore Yang. "If They have this info about us... it gets much more difficult to get Jaune back".

"Not necessarily", interjected Ren, the calm voice of reason as ever. "Even if they know us, Jaune can't write _everything_ in just a few lines. Those are for him and him alone, to make him recall all of the info about us. Anyone who isn't Jaune just has a bit of information, and that's nothing we can't deal with on our own".

Ruby nodded and looked down at the notes, quickly skipping names until she found an interesting one.

/-/

 _Vero Tear_

 _6'. Dark red hair. Black eyes. Colour theme: black. Arrogant. Cocky. Stuck-up. Asshole. Bully. Mocking. Menacing. A threat that needs to be dealt with. Weapon: Látigo Atroz (whip/sword hybrid. Whip: up to 15' per 4'' per 2'', Gravity Dust and steel alloy to make it go back together with a flick of hand. Sword: 4' 2'' per 4'' per 2''. No ranged mode). Fighting style: absolute use of Negation, killing strikes if possible, crippling ones otherwise, the more hurtful the better for him. Semblance: Aura Negation._

/-/

"Well, at least now we now he did not just keep tabs on his friends", commented Yang, still sour about it. "Also, the more I know about this Vero Tear, the less I like him. He doesn't have a single redeeming feature in his description. Not one".

"He's an asshole", growled Blake. "Just like everyone says".

/-/

 _Project Eclipse_

 _Crocea Mors isn't the right weapon for me. All of my ancestors forged their own weapons for a reason. This was my great-great-great-grandfather's weapon, not mine. I should create a new one and learn how to fight with that one. Sword and shield isn't out of the picture yet, but not as Crocea Mors. And not like Milo and Akouo, either._

 _But Crocea Mors is special. I can't ignore the legend about it._

 _The Sword. The Will and the Mind. It is said that the sword will break only after the wielder's will and mind break. The Mind and the Will, that guides the hand to strike down the enemies and triumph over Evil, forged into plain steel and sharpened by years of victory by heroes of the Arc lineage._

 _The Shield. The Body and the Soul. It is said that as long as the shield is unbroken, no harm can be done to the wielder, but digging deeper, I found that the true legend speak inversely: only after the wielder's body will be broken and useless will the shield give away and shatter. The Body and the Soul, forged into plain steel and reinforced by years of defence by heroes of the Arc lineage._

 _In whatever form it is, Crocea Mors is an Arc weapon. Many of the ancient Arc weapons have disappeared, but the truth is that, as their wielder died, they were forged into a new shape and given to the next heir. Weapons like Ventum Scindo, Terra Lacero, Susurrus Mors all changed shape and story, given to other heroes and thus continuing the legend._

 _But Crocea Mors wasn't reforged. My great-great-grandfather never used the weapon. The legendary sword became a simple hand-me-down, and had been gathering dust when I stole it form my family before running away. And now it's being stained with uncountable failures by me. Reforging it into another legend is the only thing I've left to try. Nothing else can work. I seem to have trouble with using it, and it shows. Heck, I barely know how to_ _ **use**_ _a shield!_

 _Unbeknownst to the others, I studied their weapons. Not just superficially, but extensively. I looked at their inner mechanisms, memorizing where gears and stuff went so to rebuild them just like they were. Taking thousands of pictures I would later use to sketch. And then I sketched. I found many books in the library, both about forging and about weapons in general. At the forge, I asked for help from Velvet Scarlatina, a second-year who's very kind, even if a bit shy. She knows a truly massive deal about weapons, almost like Ruby. She said it's something about her Semblance and her weapon, but those are both still unknown to me._

/-/

"We have to talk with Velvet", stated Ruby, closing the book with a determined scowl on her face. "If she knows something, she has to tell us. And she will tell everything about the weapons he was going to sketch, too".

"I can't believe Jaune messed with our weapons and we have never even realized it", said Weiss, shaking her head. "They're not the simplest of weapons".

"He had weeks to do it", replied Ren, shrugging his shoulders as he stood up. "He probably learned a lot more than you'd think. He was always busy. And now we know why".

Pyrrha nodded, standing up. "Let's find Velvet".

 ** _Got nothing to say,_**

 ** _Until next time_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	10. The New and the Broken

"Er...", said Velvet, a bit put off by opening the door and finding the entirety of RWBY and NPR waiting for her. "...can I help you?".

"Come with us", ordered Ruby, grabbing her hand and rushing away.

/-/

"Okay...", Velvet trailed off, looking at their expectant expressions. "Can you repeat that... without using your Semblance?".

"We read Jaune's notes, and we discovered you helped him with some sketches of weapons", repeated Ruby, this time more slowly. "We want to know why didn't you tell us, which weapons was he making, why was he making them, how was he making them, how good was he at it, which materials did he use for them, how he wanted to call them".

Velvet blinked, and then frowned. "I didn't tell you because I didn't think it was necessary to", she said. "You think it has something to do with... his disappearance?".

Ren sighed. "I guess Professor Ozpin didn't tell all the students what happened", he commented heavily. "We found messages for us. Someone has kidnapped Jaune and wants revenge on us because They think we ratted him out to Goodwitch, _which we didn't do_. We don't know how, but They want us to atone before They will return Jaune to us". He closed his eyes for a second. "Also, the messages are written with blood".

Velvet gasped. "Then the rumour the leader of team TTNN started was true?", she asked in disbelief. They scowled.

"Vero Tear is spreading rumours?", growled Ruby.

"And not very kind ones, either", confirmed the rabbit Faunus, her expression stormy. "He's... absolutely _insulting_ Jaune with basically every sentence he spout". Her fists clenched in rage. Velvet wasn't a really outgoing or confident person, but there was a reason she was a Huntress. And when people she cared about were insulted or hurt... well, usually Team CRDL ended up in the infirmary. "I've even heard something about a Trail of SOBs. I guess that was an insult, too?".

Yang was basically shaking with rage as she answered. "The _Trail of Blood_ is what whoever is writing us calls those messages in blood", she explained, furious. "I don't care what Ozpin says. Tear is so very dead as soon as I have time for him".

"He's stronger than you are", warned Velvet with a sigh. "He's stronger than many second years, too. His Semblance is... powerful at the very least".

Ren's eyes narrowed. "No, it's not that powerful", he grinned darkly. "It negates Aura, right? Well, you don't _need_ Aura to be a good fighter".

"But he still has his own", argued Pyrrha, shaking her head. "We use our Aura continuously during fights. Ruby channels it into her arms to be able to fight with Crescent Rose, Weiss uses her Glyphs whenever she can, and Blake her clones. Yang's unarmed fighting style might be useful, but she'd break her bones trying to bypass Aura. I myself admittedly rely much on my Semblance, and I always channel my Aura into my weapons. Nora can't even fight with Maghnild without strengthening her arms, and Ren has the same problem as Yang".

"You're too pessimistic", scolded Velvet before sighing. "But also right. Vero's Semblance is a tricky one to deal with".

"Anyway, we did not come here to ask you about that motherfucker", said Yang, her eyes scarlet with rage. "We are here to ask you about Jaune. Which weapons was he making, with which materials, how good at it he was, and what would he have named them".

Velvet shrugged. "I... don't really know", she admitted. "He was... pretty secretive about them, but I managed to get a look at a few and asked him about them". She took out her camera and connected it to a 3D holographic projector. She tapped a few holographic buttons and Crocea Mors appeared on the screen, extended, folded and dismantled. With a few more taps, another weapon came up.

"This was Ventum", she said, gesturing to the weapon. As she and Ruby explained to the unenlightened, it was a spear/automatic rifle hybrid with a built-in Air Dust rounds generator. The measurements of the weapon were written across its length, width and breadth, and many of the inner gears were numbered, too. "It would've been a spear-automatic rifle combo of an Air Dust/steel alloy. Calibre 5 mm. He dropped it almost immediately". She swiped the screen to the left, scrolling a few other weapons like Coco Adel's Gatling purse and Fox Alistair's bladed bracers before stopping at another weapon.

"This was Terraemotus", she continued, illustrating the weapon with the small crimsonette. "It was supposed to be a halberd/plasma rifle hybrid, even though he never went through creating it. Fire Dust and Light Dust generator for the plasma. Density Dust and steel alloy for the weapon itself. 6 mm wide plasma rays". Again, she went through a few weapons before stopping.

"Here is Solis", she introduced yet another weapon, smiling sadly. "He actually tried to create this one, but he stopped and dismantled it. It was a double-sword/twin shotguns hybrid. Air Dust and steel alloy. Inner Lightning Dust rounds generator. 4 mm calibre".

"And after Solis... Eclipsim", she said, bringing up another weapon that made them all gasp. "No ranged mode. A serrated scythe. He had never been serious with it. He said he would've used it to prank you guys with it... guys, what's wrong?".

Ren used his Semblance on himself before shaking his head. "Nothing, go on", he reassured her as he calmed down his friends.

"Okay... then we have Luna", she continued, keeping an eye on them. "Basically katars with machine guns underneath the blades. Air Dust and steel alloy. Air Dust rounds generator. 2 mm calibre... are you sure you're okay?".

"We're fine", nodded Ren, even though his face was pale.

/-/

Hatred looked down at his work and grinned, even though his grin was hidden by the mask.

The scythe originally forged by Jaune Arc still retained its original design and dimension, but after studying books and books about weapons, Hatred had decided it was time for an upgrade. It wasn't much. He simply stol... _borrowed_ part of the school's reserve of Dust, kept in store in case the students needed it. Since he hadn't had yet decided which Dust he would've used, he had simply took a bit of everything.

In the end, he had been right in taking everything he could. Dust was an incredible material, able to be alloyed into basically any other material, and even among different types of Dust. He had managed to force several types of Dust in the same alloy, reinforcing the whole with Empty Dust, known for being able to channel energy quickly and without contaminating said energy. He had also added both gold and silver to it, using all the lien he had. And besides, after he sold the Dust he hadn't used, he had accumulated a good amount of lien, so why not use it in gold and silver? Even better, why not use electrum, the alloy of _both_ gold and silver?

Hatred liked symbolism. Gold and silver were basically opposite metals. Active and passive. Sun and Moon. Male and female. There were many traits they had in opposite. He liked the idea of the paradox they would be while alloyed together into electrum.

Then he had added the Dust. Air, Water, Fire and Earth had been the first ones to be alloyed in, immediately followed by Light and Darkness, another paradox that could coexist within itself. Lightning, Gravity, a tiny bit of Time, Density, Energy and Ice had come later on.

Of course, given the sheer number of types he had alloyed into the weapon, he hadn't been able... yet... to make them all work. The scythe still didn't have a ranged mode, yet. But now it was more resistant. And sharper. A lot sharper.

Hatred's grin widened even as his hands gripped the shaft hard enough to make his knuckles turn white. With a bit more help from Logic and Death, his weapon, Odium, would finally be perfect. He channelled his Aura into it and smiled when he saw it glowing a dark grey. That was all he asked. A nice, resistant weapon and Death's permission to kill Jaune Arc's former tormentors.

His grin turned into a grimace. No, he couldn't kill his former tormentors. Not just yet. Also, Vengeance had already called dibs on that, immediately followed by Betrayal. He scoffed, disgusted. He wasn't even allowed to kill the people he hated.

Seeing he had nothing else to do, he simply relented his hold on Odium as Destiny grabbed it.

/-/

"Velvet, what we're gonna tell you is... disturbing", began Blake when her fellow Faunus had stopped listing weapons. After Luna had come Ignis, Vitae, Glacies and Fulgur, but they had stopped paying attention after Eclipsim. "After Jaune disappeared, we found a message written in blood that said `REVENGE`...".

"You already told me that...".

"Jaune's blood".

Silence reigned for a second, before Velvet took a deep breath. Had she had the same Semblance as Yang, her eyes would've turned red. "Someone... used Jaune's blood... _as ink?!_ ", she asked, her voice getting louder and louder as she spoke. " _And they're still_... FREE TO WANDER... _AND HARM HIM EVEN MORE!?_ ".

"Velvet, it's not so easy", explained Ren. "We believe that... that Avatars of Death have captured him". At her disbelieving expression, he sighed. "Yeah, I asked that too. But they can pass through walls, and they're dressed in black. Also, they are both males and females, so they can't be the same person. Some of them are even on our side. And to top all of this, the one who actually _has_ Jaune is called Death... pretty self-explanatory".

"The problem is that they use Eclipsim", continued Ruby. "They probably forged it from Jaune's sketches. Of what materials was it made of?".

The interrogated girl sighed and shrugged. "I have no idea", she admitted. "But I doubt they could've. From what I saw, that weapon shouldn't be wielded in combat at all. It's just not made for it".

"Evidently, They reinforced it", said Weiss, making Blake's eye twitch in annoyance.

"Okay, we seriously need to come up with a name for `Them`, and quickly", urged the cat Faunus, cringing a bit. "Really, all this calling them vaguely is bothering me to no end. Why don't we call them just `Avatars`?".

"No, that's far too cool of a name for what they are doing", growled Yang, glaring fiercely. "I say we call them Butchers... no wait, we don't want them to butcher anyone... Shadows?".

"One of them is called Light", sighed Weiss, raising an eyebrow. "It would kinda be a paradox for her... it... to be a Shadow, don't you think? What about... The Ones Left Behind By Death?".

"Faaaar too long", noped Ruby. "I say we stick with a shorter one. Terrors?".

"Again, not too fitting when one of them is Light and another is Heart", argued Pyrrha. "Some of their names are names of feelings. What about Emotions?".

"What about Avengers?", shyly offered Velvet, trying to help with coming up with a name. "They are trying to avenge Jaune, after all...".

"It doesn't fit right, especially since we _haven't_ wronged him in any way", countered Ren, frowning focused. "Maybe we should stick to something more traditional. Wraiths?".

"Laaame", whined Nora, pouting. "What about Remnants? Sounds fun to me!".

"Remnants?", repeated Blake, sceptical.

"Yeah, Remnants, or Pieces", nodded Nora, grinning broadly now. "Because they seem to be all pieces of a single being. I dunno. I mean, Pyrrha said their names are emotions, right? Our emotions are things on their own, but they're still part of us!".

"That's... actually pretty clever", admitted Yang, nodding along with the ginger's explanation. "It could be our name for them. It's better than `Them`, anyway".

"I'm fine with that", agreed Ren, who was always fine with Nora.

"Okay", nodded Pyrrha.

Blake opened her mouth, probably ready to argue with Nora's logic or with Yang's agreement with Nora, but then thought better of it and just sighed like Weiss did, resigning herself.

Ruby was already fine with that, and Velvet didn't really had a say in it since she wasn't directly involved. Weiss, instead, shook her head. "No, that's just stupid. I agree with Ren. `Wraiths` does fit them quite well. Also, it's creepy without being a synonymous of dark like `Shadows`", she countered. "If we have to call them something, it'd be better not to get confused".

"I'm fine with that", agreed Ren, who was always fine with himself.

"Okay", nodded Pyrrha.

Blake opened her mouth, probably ready to argue with Weiss's logic or with Ren's agreement with Weiss, but then thought better of it and just sighed like Weiss did earlier, resigning herself.

Ruby was already fine with that, and Velvet didn't really had a say in it since she wasn't directly involved. Nora, instead, shook her head, but was quickly silenced when Ren placed a hand over her mouth. "It's just a name, Nora", he said, the right corner of his mouth turning up. "Can't I win _this_ round, at least?".

Nora's eyes went wide and she nodded immediately. "Of course, Ren, it's not like I want to be against you, I want to be on your side because I want to be with you, but not together-together, you know? It's not because you're not handsome, because you _are_ handsome...". Everyone just tuned her out, even Velvet who had barely any experience with the Hammer Maiden.

"Returning the previous matter, the Wraiths have apparently reinforced the weapon, because we've seen it in a fight and it didn't break", said Weiss, turning to Velvet, who shrugged again.

"I told you what I knew", she said sheepishly. "It's not like I'm withholding stuff from you... I really don't know. Maybe they have. Maybe they're just immaterial. Maybe it was just a lucky hit... it's hard to tell without having the weapon at hand".

"Heya guys!", called out a very unwelcome voice, haughtiness dripping from every letter. They turned to glare all together at Vero Tear, who was just entering the forge with his friends with him. Freya Timber, their pyromancer, looked around in interest, but both Niall Wizard -their chronomancer- and Amy Null -their illusionist- looked particularly focused, instead just following their leader. "Fortunate to meet you all here".

"Fuck. Off", stated Yang, not even bothering to turn her eyes red. He would get the message nonetheless. "I know you think you're hot shit, but you're not, and if you step too near my friends, `hot shit` is what will be written on your gravestone".

Vero laughed at the obviously empty threat. "You know which is the problem with idle threats, Buxom?", he inquired, smirking when the offensive nickname riled her up into scarlet eyes. "They make you lose credibility. You've gotta make true threats to be intimidating. Also, you know the most you could do would be to prank me, and even then I could make your life Hell thanks to my father being in the Council".

"Why the fuck are you here?", asked Blake, and for a second even the stuck-up prick was left speechless by the usually stoic girl being so rude. But then he regained his bearings and smiled.

"Can't a team leader check on his insubordinates?", he countered smilingly, but the lightness died an agonizing death when it faced the hard glares of the other eight students. When it was clear they didn't recognize him as their team leader, he sighed dramatically. "How pitiful. Really, I am hurt... I had considered telling you something about those freaky friends of yours, but if you don't care...".

"Tell us!", ordered Nora, shooting forwards to grab him. She was stopped by Vero himself as he, very simply, activated his Semblance and punched her hard in the stomach, causing her to double over in pain. Her friends immediately gathered around her, and Ren even threw a dropkick at Vero, but an Auraless attack meeting Aura only meant that the ninja of JNPR felt his bones creak while the arrogant prick smirked victoriously. Pyrrha glared at him. " _What_ , Tear?".

"Nononono, this isn't the way you speak to your leader", smirked the boy, enjoy it immensely, before an invisible force picked him up and basically threw him aside, together with all his team. Behind them stood Ms Goodwitch, eye twitching in fury, glaring at them.

"Please, Mr Tear, do try and restrain yourself", she said icily before turning to the students. "We got problems. Mr Nathan Garnet, a member of Team DRGN and... probably one of Jaune's bullies, has just been found unconscious in the courtyard. No wounds, but that's probably his Aura's work. You have to come with me immediately".

 ** _And finally some more action._**

 ** _My first story arc is drawing to a close. I know it hasn't been long and it won't be, but I like to think it wasn't too bad. A few more chapters, and we're done._**

 ** _Also, I'm done with staying awake, now. Goodnight everyone, for me it's past midnight, and tomorrow I got things to do._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	11. Broken and Shattered

**_Okay, very quick heads up, guys. In this chapter there is a quite disturbing description of a mangled corpse. If you're sensible to that kind of things, don't read the paragraph after Ozpin turns the computer to them._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

The twelve students -Ruby, Velvet, Weiss, Pyrrha, Nora, Yang, Vero, Blake, Amy, Niall, Ren and Freya- followed Goodwitch straight to the Headmaster's office, where only eight of them were allowed in. Velvet and Vero's teammates had to wait outside with Glynda while Teams RWBY, (J)NPR and T(TNN) entered to meet the Headmaster.

"I guess Glynda already informed you of Mr Garnet", he said, skipping the pleasantries and jumping to the point. "The boy was found unconscious in the courtyard. No wounds were found on him, but his Aura was completely depleted. He called for his locker launcher, but apparently it wasn't fast enough, since Mr Garnet was found unconscious with his weapons in his hands, right in front of his open locker. Probably he fell just as the locker arrived".

"And why have you called us here?", asked Vero, bored.

"Because I believe it has something to do with this `Trail of Blood`, as They call it", replied the Headmaster, tapping away on his computer. "Mr Garnet was a member of Team DRGN, who are... notorious for their arrogance and bullism toward the other students".

"As if they could bully a true fighter", scoffed Vero. "They're weak as shit".

"Professor Ozpin, while we are thankful you called us...", said Ruby, a bit confused. "What does this have to do with the Wraiths and Jaune?".

"Wraiths?", asked Ozpin, raising an eyebrow.

"We came up with a name for the authors of the messages", explained Weiss, frowning. "After a bit of a naming streak, we opted for Wraiths".

"Very well, it definitely fits", sighed the older man, rubbing his temples. "I called you because... I've been withholding data from you. At first I hoped this would be different, but now that a student has been attacked... I fear I have no other choice".

"You've been withholding _what?_ ", exclaimed Yang, angry and curious at the same time.

"Twenty years ago, Mr John Arc and Ms Jude Silver, two members of a team graduated from this very Academy in a time when we still didn't have combat schools like Signal, married with a nice little ceremony in Vale. One year later, they had their first child, a beautiful girl they called Jane...".

"Boooooring", drawled Vero, disrespectful, earning glares from everyone. He yawned ostentatiously.

"Two years after young Jane's birth they had their first male after four girls. He was a cute little boy they decided to call Jaune Soleil Arc", he continued, gaining the attention of everyone. "They lived happily for seven more years, having a triplet of girls four years after the twins".

"Three years after that, nine of the ten Arcs were found dead".

A shocked silence fell on the room.

"Mr and Mrs Arc, and all the Arc daughters were found killed. Only Mr Arc truly showed signs of struggle, that suggest the other had been murdered", he went on, tapping on his computer. "Apparently, the young Jaune Arc then moved to an old family friend, Keaa Konis, another member of his parents' former team... but five years later, Mr Konis was found murdered, _mangled horribly_ , in his own house, and young Mr Arc simply disappeared for five more years before he applied for Beacon".

He finally found the file he was searching for and his finger hovered over it for a second before he closed his eyes and tapped. "Beware, this image is highly disturbing", he warned. "It... it's definitely not something I would make children see in normal conditions". He turned the computer for them to look.

They gagged at the sight.

It was a photo of a human corpse, mangled beyond definition. It's eye sockets were empty, the eyes having been gauged out, and all its fingers had been severed and stuffed into the corpse's open mouth. And the head was the less touched. The entire torso had been cleaved open, organs spilled on the floor carelessly, and the ribcage had been forced open. All its limbs had been torn from their original positions and stuffed inside the torso, left to drip blood on the already bloodstained floor. The corpse was also hanged, using a loop made of its own entrails. The original jet black of its hair was now meshed with the crimson red of the blood splattered everyone. On the wall behind the cadaver were written a few words.

DEATH BETRAYAL HATRED MADNESS AGONY WRATH VENGEANCE

WE DAMN YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE, KEAA KONIS. MAY YOU FIND YOUR PUNISHMENT IN HELL

 _REST IN PIECES_

The eight students simply sat there, some green and some white as chalk, as Ozpin turned the computer again and dismissed the horrifying image. "Mr Konis's death was a... horrid event, but what I wanted to show you were the words on the wall behind his body".

Ren was the first to recover, thanks to his Semblance, and used it on everyone else to calm them down. "I-It means t-this isn't the f-first time the W-W-Wraiths appear", he stammered, scared of what the Wraiths would do to his friends.

"Exactly", nodded Ozpin, a sad yet solemn look on his face. "Mr Konis's death was chalked off as a psychotic murderer but... the fact that these... Wraiths... have appeared twice already, both times in presence of Mr Arc, is quite worrisome. Once is a coincidence, two is a pattern. I'm not a man used to let murders like these pass unobserved. I looked into it, and found that Mr Arc was initially found, before he disappeared, in the same room they found the corpse in, covered in blood and terrified". Ozpin glanced at his coffee as if he wanted to drink it, but then pushed it aside. "This information was given to the authorities by an anonymous call, who many believe was the murderer, saying that the boy was going crazy, yelling things like `Shut up` and `Make them stop`. The police didn't believe the call, obviously, even though the rumour reached me. At first I dismissed it, but now...".

"In Jaune's diary, he said the Wraiths began talking to him", remembered Weiss, her voice shaking. "Do you think they're gonna murder us?".

"Unfortunately, I have no idea, Ms Schnee", sighed the Headmaster. "I called you all here because there will be a change in my plans. Mr Tear, it's too dangerous for you to remain in Mr Arc's former team. Ms Nikos, Ms Valkyrie and Mr Lie will remain as a three-men team until everything will be sorted. I do not wish to put any of you in danger because of recklessness".

Vero frowned and, thanks to Ren's Semblance, immediately regained his normal attitude. "I'm not going anywhere", he growled back at Ozpin. "This is my fucking team now, and I'm not fucking going anywhere because a fucking old man is scared of ghosts. Arc was found in the same room? He's the murderer. Stop. Find him and hang him with his entrails. He's weak. He deserves it".

Ozpin's eyes flashed with unadulterated fury, and he rose from his seat, eyes blazing and jaw set like in stone. His cane creaked under the sheer pressure he gripped it with, and luckily he didn't have his mug in his hand, or it would've shattered into fragments. "You...".

"Let him stay".

Everyone turned to Nora, shocked by her words, but she was obviously not taking Vero's side. Instead, her eyes were blazing with the same emotion as Ozpin's, and she was glaring at the arrogant boy. "Let him stay. They'll kill him. The Wraiths will dismember him. And so? He's a bully, a prick, an asshole, and while we all have hearts, he's got nothing in his chest but stone. Let them kill him. I'll _laugh_ at his funeral", she hissed, and a few were shocked by her words, but Blake was quick to back her up.

"Nora's right", she said, glaring at Vero. "He wants to stay so badly? Let him. If Mr Konis was a Huntsman and was killed, then there's a good chance they'll kill him too. Let them fucking kill him. Nobody's gonna miss him".

"You know it more than we do, Professor", added Weiss, her glare freezing Vero in place. "He's a bully of the worst sort. Several students have already been harassed by him, and only his father's position in the Council keeps him here".

"Also, his harassments of the other students don't stop simply at bullism", continued Ren, his eyes hard and merciless as he looked at the still cocky boy. "Several reports of low-to-moderate-level sexual assaults have been submitted to Professor Goodwitch, but if I'm not wrong you can't give him detention for his father's influence... but it's not your problem if he gets killed by his own stupidity, right?".

Pyrrha gritted her teeth. "He tried harassing even some of us", she agreed furiously. "He's just lucky he has the Semblance he has, otherwise he would've been sent back to his father in a bodybag".

"He even tried to harass Ruby", Yang added with a deathly voice that made them all shiver. "And he almost did, but fortunately we got there in time. Hadn't we arrived when we did...".

Ozpin looked a Ruby, almost sure she would disagree and ask him to keep him away and safe, but was shocked to see the silver-eyed girl glaring at Vero just like the rest. Her words, though, were far more direct. "He _deserves_ to die", she snarled. "Let's not lie. His redeemable features are inexistent. I won't laugh when he'll die, nor I will wish him death, but I surely won't try and save him from the Wraiths", she condemned him, a hand raising almost protectively to her chest, where she could still remember Vero's aggressive hand grabbing her breast.

Ozpin glanced at the boy, who was apparently unfazed by the hostility. "I'll have to call my father", he said cockily. "I fear I'll have to tone down this roughness a notch or two. As for Ruby, I stand what I said back then: I wanted to fuck a loli, and she should've been honoured to be my partner".

Ozpin made his decision and sent the boy out of the room, allowing him to stay in the team, before turning to the seven remaining students.

"I have a mission for you, one in which I will _personally_ help you with", he said, shaking them out of their rage. "We need to track down the team of Mr Arc's parents, Team TASK, known because its name was made out of only the surnames of the members. Or at least, the remaining member of it. He might know what's going on, or at least we'll be able to get _something_ out of him".

"Who's him?", asked Ruby, determined. Ozpin took a picture of the day of graduation and passed it to them.

On the right there was a young man with jet black hair and ocean blue eyes that reminded them of Jaune in some ways. He was smiling as he kept an arm around the shoulders of the woman beside him. He wore loose pine green clothes that wouldn't have been out of place in a movie about ninjas. Even his weapons were ninja-like: at his right hip hung a long black-hilted katana in a dark grey scabbard and a shorter wakizashi with the same hilt colour and scabbard colour. Over his head, in a handwriting they could recognize as Ozpin's -elegant but a bit askew- was written a name: `Keaa "Key" Konis`, with `Key` probably being some sort of nickname.

Beside him stood a taller woman with bright golden hair and shining green eyes, whose smile was even brighter than Konis's. She was keeping her right hand on her hip as if she was about to scold the photographer, but her expression was happy. In her left hand she was holding her weapon, a six-feet-long spear with a silver blade, pointed skywards. As opposite to her partner, she was wearing armour, a full plate silvering armour that sparkled in the luminous afternoon Sun. Just like the man beside her, she had a name over her head: `Jude "Life" Silver`.

At her left, second to leftmost, stood a shorter man with dark brown hair and bright brown eyes, smirking confidently at the camera. He seemed to slightly lean towards the woman beside them, but what really got their attention was the sword strapped at his waist: Crocea Mors, the Arc family blade. He too was wearing a full plate armour, very different from the armour Jaune used to wear, that covered his whole body, except for the joints and the head, that was left free of a helmet. On his heads there was his name: `John "Blast" Arc`.

But it was the last man who made them gasp.

He was smirking just like John, maybe with a hint more maturity in his expression. He was also obviously the team leader. He wore long brown cargo pants and boots, paired with a black shirt, a grey scarf tied around his neck, and a white suit over the shirt. He had bright orange hair that covered his right eyes, while his left one was dark green and sporting black eyeliner. On his head he had a black bowler hat, and in his hand he was twirling a dark grey cane with a hook-like light grey handle. The picture had been able to catch the cane while perfectly vertical.

"Yes, you all already know him", nodded Ozpin. "The last member of Team TASK, their leader nonetheless, is Roman Torchwick".

 ** _So..._**

 ** _It seems Vero Tear is nearing the end of his life... I mean, he's finally accepted as team leader!_**

 ** _Don't cry if he dies._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	12. Broken People

"Is this a good idea, Professor?".

"Of course, Ms Schnee, we need to find Mr Torchwick as soon as possible".

"What makes you think he should be here?".

"Well, you said tonight a large SDC Dust shipment will land at the docks and it will stay there for a night before being transported to the various Dust shops all across Vale. Since Torchwick's been robbing those shops of Dust for weeks now, it's safe to assume he will try to steal this shipment, too".

"...I actually meant Professor Oobleck".

The nine vigilantes, seven students and two Professors, were waiting at Vale's airship docks, watching over the SDC's containers of Dust. Pyrrha, Ren, Ruby, Blake, Yang, Nora, Weiss, Professor Ozpin and Oobleck were waiting sitting on a random container.

"It's _Doctor_ Oobleck, I didn't earn my PhD for fun, thank you very much".

"...case in point".

Ozpin sighed, shaking his head. "While I am sure you all have your... doubts about Bartholomew's abilities, he's still a seasoned Huntsman and a teacher at Beacon", he reminded them. "Also, his Semblance could be quite useful to us, in case we needed it".

"Super speed?", asked Ruby, arching an eyebrow.

"Not at all, my dear, that is just me infusing my own body with Aura during lessons to be able to compress as much knowledge as I can in the measly two hours I get every other day", replied the green-haired professor, taking a sip from his Thermos. "...although coffee could help. Anyway, my dear, my Semblance is very different. It's the Semblance of an _archaeologist_ ".

"A dinosaur?", wondered Ruby.

"No, Ms Rose, a man who studies history. Do try and pay attention the next time I will introduce myself to the class, and you might know what an archaeologist does", the hyper professor scolded her briefly before returning to his solemn expression. "My Semblance allows me to study a location to deduce what happened in the past. At first it was just one year, but now I'm able to go back for up to sixteen years".

"So... you are basically the opposite of a future reader? You see the past?", asked Yang, scratching her head, confused.

"In a way, Ms Xiao Long, you're right. My Semblance, unfortunately, does not show anything. I can describe the past but I can't view it... I would need dear Peter for that", continued Oobleck, cleaning his glasses and putting them back on his nose.

"Port?", Nora blurted out without thinking. "That old windbag?".

"You know, Professor Port's tales are mostly true", lightly commented Ozpin, smirking slightly at their stunned expressions. "His Semblance, though, is quite different from what one would expect from him. He has minor illusionist skills. By listening, reading or telling a tale, he can manifest said tale in the form of very precise illusions... for example, if I told him about a meeting I had with a steward in Atlas, even a steward he never met, he would be able to create a perfect illusion of him as long as he plays a part in the story I told him".

"That's... a really useful Semblance", noted Weiss.

"It's also the reason he's still working at seventy", laughed Oobleck. "The police department of Vale really didn't want to let him go".

"Well, with a Semblance like that, it would be really easy for him to find a murderer or a thief", nodded Blake. "It makes sense, if you think about it".

"Unfortunately, he needs a decent description of the subject. For example, if I was to tell him about a blue-eyed brunette I met in Vale, without going any further in description, he would not be able to recreate the illusion perfectly", continued Ozpin. "This way, he still needs a decent description. Usually hair, eyes, clothes and skin is enough for him to create a decently detailed picture... but paired with Barty's Semblance, Peter could be able to show us the past".

"You want to know how Jaune's family and Mr Konis died", said Ren, looking at the Headmaster. "Am I right, Professor Ozpin? Is that why you're bringing him along?".

"Yes and no", replied the old man. "Yes, I intend to ask Bartholomew to use his Semblance to discover what happened to the Arcs. But I do not wish to recreate the illusions of their deaths. If Torchwick doesn't give us the information we need, we'll fly to Mr Arc's former hometown and find out by ourselves".

"I must say, though, why are you so keen on coming with us, Professor?", asked Oobleck, tilting his head sideways in curiosity. Blake didn't want to confirm the stereotypes, but she too was really curious. Not like it would kill her, after all. "You could've just sent me to intercept Mr Torchwick".

"I believe this could be quite important, so I wanted to come along", replied Ozpin, not missing a beat. _'Also, if this is some kind of fairy tale becoming reality, I need to be the first to know. I can't have Avatars of Death wandering on Remnant without me knowing'_.

The nine sat in silence until the roar of a Bullhead shook them from their thoughts. The two experienced Huntsmen stood up without a hint of nervousness, and part of that confidence evidently passed onto the students, since they too looked optimistic.

"What's the hold up?", asked a voice Ruby knew all to well. Well, not _too_ well. She had only heard it once, but she surely wasn't keen on hearing it again. Ozpin smirked and he activated his Semblance, Time Stop, using it on everyone but him and his allies, before dashing forwards with his cane, so fast even Ruby had trouble keeping up with him.

In the four seconds the time was stopped, the White Fang grunts were quickly dispatched, with a certain level of kindness from Blake and a certain level of harshness from Weiss.

"Can't you a...", the voice stopped as the owner of said voice took in the fact that his subordinates had just been knocked out by nine people who really looked like Huntsmen and Huntresses. One of which was Professor Medeis Ozpin, the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. That wasn't good. "Oh, shit".

"Mr Torchwick", the silver-haired man greeted him politely. "We need to talk".

/-/

"Okay, okay, I'm here now", grumbled Torchwick, sitting down in Ozpin's office at Beacon. "What do you want from me?".

Ozpin looked at the seven students before sighing and taking the lead. "Mr Torchwick, have you kept in touch with the rest of your team?".

"If I could contact the dead, then maybe I would've kept in touch. They're all dead, Medeis", he retorted sarcastically. "First John and Jude, and then Keaa. What about them?".

"I want to know about John and Jude's son".

Roman fell silent for a bit. His usual cocky attitude slowly slipped away from him and he looked nervously at Ozpin. "What about Jaune?", he asked, and immediately knew he had committed the mistake to admit he knew the boy.

"Are you familiar with the death of your teammate Keaa Konis, seven years ago?", asked Ozpin, and Roman nodded with a disgusted look on his face. "We know Mr Konis was Jaune's tutor at the time. We want to know where Jaune went next".

Roman took out a cigar and tried to light it, but a stern glare from Ozpin stopped him. Even after all those years, he couldn't help but be intimidated by his old Combat Instructor. Finally, he caved in front of everyone's glares. "I took him in", he admitted bitterly. "He had nowhere to go. I took him in and I grew him up like a son for five years before he entered Beacon".

The students were shocked by the revelation, but Ozpin not so much.

"So this is how he learned how to fake his transcripts", nodded the man. "But why didn't you unlock his Aura, and why didn't you teach him how to fight?".

Roman smiled sadly. "Because the kid had seen some hardcore shit in his life", he explained. "He saw the ten people he cared most in the world die in front of him. First his mother, then his sisters, then his father, and then... Keaa. It wasn't safe to teach him how to fight on my own. That's why I let him attend Beacon". His eyes narrowed. "How could I have known the initiation had changed that much? Nobody threw _us_ off a cliff, during our stay at Beacon. At least not before the third year. Heck, even _I_ entered Beacon without my Aura unlocked!".

"The Council decided to up the training of young Huntsmen by creating the combat schools. There, the students get five years of training before they come to Beacon, where they are intensively trained for another four years", replied Ozpin. "But I have another question for you. Do you know the circumstances that led to the Arc family's slaughter?".

Roman's eyes narrowed even further at the surprisingly specific question. "I didn't kill them, if that's what you're asking", he spat out. "And why would you care?".

"Please", pleaded Ruby. "Tell us".

The criminal mastermind scoffed, but then he became pensive, trying to recall what exactly had happened. "I know all this only second-handedly. I wasn't there", he began hesitantly. "I know that John had an argument with Jude. Things got violent and in the end... Jude was on the floor, dead, her head a few feet away".

The students looked away, but Ozpin was focused. "Go on".

"When Keaa learned of this, and he learned of it _fast_ , he was furious. Beyond furious. He was mad in the literal sense of the word. He killed all the Arc daughters". Everyone gasped but Ozpin and Roman. "Then he faced John, both with innocent blood on their hands, and they fought. Keaa won and he took Jaune with him. I have no idea why, though".

"I think I do".

Everyone turned to Ozpin, and even Roman put away the unlit cigar that had previously been hanging from his lips. "Then Mr Konis, after five years, told Jaune what he'd done, and Mr Arc had a crisis. He was hearing voices in his head when you arrived, right?".

Roman nodded. "Yeah, and he was behaving strangely too. One moment he was terrifying, and the other he was kind".

"Trauma. I believe he managed to summon the Wraiths and they killed Konis", continued Ozpin, earning a raised eyebrow from Roman. "Then he was found by Roman and grown by him. It all adds up".

Everyone shot him a quizzical look, but he ignored them to focus on his inner monologue.

"It's clear Mr Arc somehow summoned the Wraiths, but like they are now imprisoning him somewhere in the school, back then they probably forced him to witness as they mangled his tutor's corpse", he continued, standing up and beginning to pace forth and back. "As Mr Torchwick guessed, Mr Konis probably told him what he had done, thinking that the boy had grown enough attached to him to be able, if not to forgive him, at least to hear him out. Instead, this caused the boy to break down and have a crisis, thus summoning the Wraiths".

"Professor Ozpin?", called Pyrrha, but she was ignored.

"This paired with the other revelation, that we still don't know if Mr Arc was told or not, caused the crisis, but Mr Arc then returned to normal after moving in with Mr Torchwick and his daughter Neopolitan", he mumbled to himself. "But this time Mr Arc isn't conveniently near. We need to find him before we can attend to make him dismiss the Wraiths... an ability we still don't know if he has or not. For all we know, the Wraiths could be very well independent once summoned".

"What are those Wraiths?", asked Roman, exasperated. Ozpin pointed to his wall, where the word `REVENGE` was still visible.

"The ones who wrote that message, and the same ones who killed Mr Konis. From the students' descriptions, they are tall figures clad in black, torn, bloodstained clothes with a black cloak. They also wear a mask with blood trickling down from the forehead and the eyes. Their weapons are sleek scythes with serrated blades and several bloodstains on them. Some of them are females and some are males", he answered tensely. "Although we suspect not all of them are against us. I've never personally met one, but my students have encountered Wraiths called Logic and Heart, seen Scare and Wrath, and were contacted by Light".

"What's with the names?", asked Roman, not sarcastically, but professionally. "Do they mean anything?".

"Yes, they do. Apparently, their names define their very beings, their true nature", replied Ruby. "We also know there are ones called Vengeance, Agony, Betrayal, Destiny, Madness and Death, but we've never encountered them".

There was a short silence after that, until Blake perked up.

"You said there was another revelation", she noted, looking at Ozpin. "One you're not sure if Jaune knows about. What does that mean? Is it something we should know about?".

Ozpin exchanged a glance with Roman. "John Arc's argument with his wife was probably about her son. Mr Torchwick, do you have any pictures of Jaune with you?", he asked politely. Roman took out his scroll and -after showing he wasn't gonna call any criminal to aid him escape- tapped some icons to open up his gallery, scrolling down a bit before tapping on a picture and sliding the device on the table.

The picture was of Jaune when he was sixteen. He was dressed in dark blue tight-fitting jeans and boots, with a blue-lined white shirt and a navy blue jacket over it. He was sprawled on a tree, looking down at the camera with an amused smirk and a sparkle in his ocean blue eyes, that were half-covered by bangs of his straw-coloured hair. He looked quite handsome, but more than anything, he looked at peace, without a care in the world apart not falling off the tree.

The picture of Team TASK landed beside it. "Students, look at the similarities between Jaune Arc and his parents", ordered Ozpin. "Can you see how similar they are?".

The teams leaned in and looked, frowning. No, not really, was the answer. Jaune hadn't inherited John's hair nor eyes. He was far taller than his father, more similar to his mother, from which he had taken the blond hair. His smile too was very similar to his mother. Actually, he was way more similar to Keaa Konis. The ninja of team TASK had the same eyes as Jaune, the same built, and their little smirks were very similar. Jaune's was a little brighter, like his mother, while Keaa's was more amused, but the similarities were definitely there. Of course, that had to be a coincidence. There was no way...

"John Arc wasn't Jaune's biological father", said Ozpin. "That honour went to Keaa Konis, Jude's partner".

/-/

Ruby was walking aimlessly now.

After the shocking news, Ozpin had explained his hypothesis, and the worst part of it was that it made sense. She could imagine how it went: Jude telling her husband that Jaune was actually Keaa's son, John reacting badly, the argument ending up in violence and Jude being killed in blind rage. Then Keaa killed John's daughters in revenge and faced the man himself, killing him after a long fight. Then Keaa took Jaune, who had been kept away all along, with him and grew him like a son for five years before telling him the truth about the Arcs. She could imagine Jaune's shock and desperation and rage, unconsciously summoning the Wraiths. She could imagine them talking to him and killing Konis. She could imagine them forcing him to watch as they tore open Keaa's body and...

She shivered and shook her head to clear it from the macabre thoughts.

She looked around and she found herself in the basement. Had she really wandered that much? She shivered as she recalled Scare's words. _"In the basement. Below it"_ , he had said. _"In the dungeons of Beacon no one has explored for a long, long time"_. Was it there they were keeping Jaune? Maybe she should've called her team and investigated. But yet again, she didn't know how many Wraiths could've been waiting for her down there. For all she knew, they could've been far more than the ones she had heard of.

"Hey there, lolita", said a voice behind her, and she froze before slowly turning around. Vero Tear was standing there, a large smirk on his face as he eyes roved over her uniform-clad body. There in the basement, she couldn't even call for her locker launcher, and with Vero's Semblance, her own Semblance was as good as gone. "Fancy meeting you here. I guess you wanted to continue what we were doing last time before we were so brutally interrupted".

His smirked turned lecherous and he stepped forwards. "Don't be afraid, little loli, you'll be a good enough lay", he laughed, but he stopped when he heard another laughter mirroring his own. Looking around, he could only see dark, since he wasn't a Faunus. With a frown, he stepped towards the door, only to halt as he spotted a tall figure blocking out the light from the door.

 **"Vero Tear"** , said the figure, his voice like many voices all together. Not all at the same time, but more shifting from one to another to yet another in the span of a few seconds. **"You have come"**.

Vero smirked as he activated his Semblance, Aura Negation. "So you're the one who pulls the strings, aren't you?", he laughed. "Well, I gotta thank you: hadn't you taken that pathetic excuse of a human being Arc, I wouldn't be on a team with the hot Pyrrha Nikos, nor I would be the neighbour of my favourite loli".

With a mechanical click, Vero extended his longsword in whip mode and slashed at the figure, only to gawk as they stopped the whip with an arm, blood gushing out of the new wound, and grabbed the sharp whip. "Are you crazy? Well, don't go cry to mommy if you end up hurt", he scoffed arrogantly. "Maybe your arrival is a good thing. I always like to pump up adrenaline before sex".

The figure didn't respond, instead opting for pulling the whip with enough strength to make Vero stumble forwards. Then they kicked him in the face and sent him sprawling on the floor, weapon still in hand. The figure inspected their wound, vaguely interested, before taking out the now familiar scythe.

 **"This is my weapon, Mortem"** , they said in their creepy voice. **"And I am Death"**.

Ruby fled the room.

 ** _And finally, Death comes in!_**

 ** _Also, I opted for her (yes, Death's kinda a female) voice not to be many voice_** **at once** ** _but many voices overlapping each other._**

 ** _Will Death be able to defeat the strongest first year of Beacon? You'll find out._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	13. Broken

**_And here's the last chapter of the Broken Arc (not Jaune). A bit gruesome, but if you've read this far, gore and horror shouldn't bother you._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

"So you're the big bad boss, uh?".

Vero Tear stood in front of the figure that called itself Death. It was humanoid, he could give it that. Anything else wasn't. It had just parried a freaking whiplash with its bare arm, uncaring of the gashes opening on it, and then dropkicked him to the floor. Its clothes were torn and bloodied, but he still couldn't see any skin nor flesh underneath, just darkness. Maybe it was other cloth. Maybe it wasn't. The bloodstains didn't help, either, and nor did the mask, an emotionless plain mask, cracked and bloodied that seemed to be crying blood.

 **"I am Death"**.

Yeah, also, it had that creepy voice that was as fluid as water, morphing from one tone to another in a second and then yet another the next one. It really crept him out, but Vero Tear was still Vero Tear. He was the strongest fucking first year. He would win even against this little wimp dressed in black. Gritting his teeth, Vero got back on his feet, studying his adversary. It showed... absolutely nothing. It wasn't tense, it wasn't angry, it wasn't ready to attack. It simply stood there, blandly looking at him from underneath the bloody mask.

"So, where are you keeping the weakling?", he asked chattily. "Just so I know where I should go after I stuff your head up your own ass".

The figure tilted its head sideways, apparently amused. **"Jaune Arc is not yours to find"** , it said. **"And you will not step between me and them"**.

"Well, sorry Deathy Death, but I can't let you kill the hot girls", chuckled Vero, his grip on his weapon tightening as he flicked his wrist and turned his whip back into a longsword. "Not until I'm done with them, anyway. I would hate to waste those pussies".

 **"You talk a lot, Vero Tear"** , noted the figure, lowering its weapon. **"But apparently, you don't think enough"**.

"Oh, I can assure you, I've thought about those pussies a _lot_ ", he snickered before having to duck under a swing. He then swore when the scythe stopped above him and changed direction, forcing him to roll out of the figure's reach. "What, I am cockblocking you? Sorry, hot girls are for strong guys, not freaks".

The figure didn't reply, instead swinging again, this time lower, forcing him to jump. But just as the blade passed under him, he smirked and brought down his longsword, scoring a light hit on the figure's shoulder, making it bleed. "Ah, so you're not untouchable. Pfftt. You're so pathetic. I should end you now". He swung again, but this time his sword was stopped by the scythe's shaft, and he frowned. His Semblance couldn't erase the power of the Dust, so the weapons were still nigh indestructible. Thus, he went for overpowering his opponent. He focused his Aura into his arms and pushed, smirking when the figure began losing ground.

Then it spun, ducking under his now unbalanced blade, and swept his legs out from under him with its scythe. Vero growled in anger as once again he found himself on the floor. Jumping back on his feet, he engaged the figure with another slash that was easily deflected and counterattacked. He gritted his teeth. He wasn't used to fight people who could actually fight even without Aura nor Semblance. Usually, Huntsmen preferred large, absurd weapons, or relied too much on Aura and Semblances, but the figure, although it _had_ taken a couple of hits, didn't seem to be fazed by them. It had leaned back just enough for the sword to go through its shoulder and not its torso, but nothing else. Vero was starting to get unnerved by it.

Spinning on himself, he tried to build up momentum to strike down the figure, only for his eyes to widen as the figure literally danced back, dodging his swing, and dashed back in, delivering a two-handed swing straight into his chest. Hadn't it been for Aura, it would've probably killed him, but that was the point of his Semblance, wasn't it? He could fight people with Aura by negating their defence and keeping his own. He had studied! Most Huntsmen rarely used any kind of defensive fighting style. They just used their Aura to tank everything that hit them, and with Grimm, it was a useful method. Most of the Beacon's students were just like that, too.

Rose was simply unable to parry or block with a scythe that large and heavy. Schnee's rapier could be used as defence, but she preferred to fight elusively with her Glyphs instead of flat-out blocking. Belladonna almost always used her Semblance to defend herself, and instead focused on attacking. Xiao Long... was the true embodiment of aggressiveness in combat. Vero doubted she had ever even _heard_ the word `defence`. Valkyrie was just like Xiao Long, just with a large hammer instead of freaky gauntlets. Lie was elusive, but his weapons could block only other light weapons. Under the pressure of a sword or another similarly sized weapon, the boy would've lost ground. Nikos was admittedly better at defence, but she too used her Semblance too much. Her excessive use of her Polarity was what had brought him to build a weapon made of mixing together ivory and Dust, so that she couldn't control it.

That was before he discovered his Semblance, of course.

He grinned even as he was sent flying through a door by the swing. He would win this fight. Obviously, whoever was under those clothes was a person, since it could bleed, and if it was a person, then Vero Falso Tear would defeat it. Not just _defeat_. He would tear it to pieces and bring all those pieces to that scaredy-cat of a Headmaster. Then he would hack that Arc weakling to pieces and present the bits to his old team, declaring that unfortunately he hadn't been able to arrive in time. Besides, if those things had really kept him trapped in silence all along, then he was sure his girlish screams wouldn't be heard anywhere in Beacon. And finally, _finally_ , all that madness would end and he would finally be able to fuck that loli in peace.

"Lost in thought, Tear?", asked a sarcastic voice. As the boy looked up, his eyes widened and he had to throw himself back to avoid the scythe that almost gave him a new neckcut. The figure on the door was the same as before, but now its voice was different. Definite. Vero frowned. "Death sent me to deal with you. Well... _I_ asked Death to deal with you, actually".

"What the fuck are you?", he growled, getting back on his feet.

The figure's face was hidden, but he could swear it smirked at him. "Where are my manners? My name is Misfortune... and I imagine you can guess why I'm here", it said, the voice now more feminine. "It'll be a pity, though. Cleaning Infortunium of your blood will be boring. Yet again, I would never leave a stain such as your filthy blood on my beloved blade".

Vero growled again and swung, his Semblance still active, at the figure, only for it to chuckle and dodge to the side, dancing out of his reach. They continued fighting -swinging his sword and taunting respectively-, delving deeper into the mazy dungeons underneath Beacon, the remains of the dungeons of the castle the school once was. Vero's frustration only continued to grow as the figure continued to dodge and flee, leading him further and further away.

"So you're the great Vero Tear?", it taunted him. "What a joke".

"Shut up!", shouted Tear, charging it again, only to hit air as he stepped away. He growled. It was _difficult_ to fight something that fled and dodged every time without attacking. "I'm gonna kill you and then spread your hacked remains all over your dear friend Death!".

"I'd like to see you try", snickered the figure, fading into another room. He snarled. He was almost out of breath, and his Aura was going down fast from the exertion. "Or maybe the great Vero Tear isn't strong enough?".

"I'll show you strength!", screamed Vero, swinging his weapon two-handedly, his breathing ragged and torn. "DIE!".

The figure chuckled as it deflected the unbalanced strike and let him plunge his sword into the wall before reacting with a swing of its own, trying to cleave right through him. His weapon came free as he was sent flying for the second time that day, sweat drenching his clothes and making his hair stick to his forehead. He stood up awkwardly, panting heavily as he looked at the figure. Again, he could swear it was smirking.

A cold shiver ran down his spine.

Later, Vero Tear would never admit it, nor he would ever admit he had broken a sweat against the figure. Later, he would narrate how he had fought on with sprays of blood and hacked pieces, walking over the corpses of a few of those Wraiths, chasing down every single one of them. Later, he would talk about how he had disarmed Death in a duel to the death... and he would've also made a pun about Death being dead. Later, he would recount the gore and gruesome pieces of hacked remains sticking to his frame as he literally cleaved through them with his sword. But later was later and now was now.

Now, he turned and ran through the dark rooms, trying to keep his breathing in check. Behind him came Misfortune's laughter, getting crazier and crazier the more he struggled. He simply ran, climbing up every stair he could find, exhausting his Aura in the effort, crashing through all the doors in his path, willing his legs to bring him _just a little further_.

Finally, he saw a light on top of a stair.

He ran with renewed vigour, skipping up the stairs two steps at a time, nearing his freedom with each passing second. Finally, the steps ended, and he found himself at the top of a stair on the side of a large corridor's hall. Right on cue, he saw Schnee, Xiao Long and Rose running toward him, but they all skidded to a halt when they saw him, exhausted, dirty, sweaty and looking worse for wear, coming out of the stairs. He managed to smirk at them provokingly. He hadn't near enough Aura to take them on, and they were in their combat outfits, but it didn't matter. He had a reputation to uphold. He would simply tell them how he had cleaved through Death and all the others that had dared stand in his path, but some of them had fled screaming and escaped. But before he could speak a single word...

Something grabbed his ankle.

In that instant, something shattered inside Vero Tear. All his cockiness, all his confidence, all his arrogance cracked and fell apart, revealing pure survival instinct underneath. His mind threw aside any semblance of humanity to embrace his inner wildness, the only thing that could save him from the situation he was in. In that moment, Vero Tear changed forever. He would never be normal again. His mind would forever be marked by the trauma he had undergone both in the basement and in that instant when _something_ grabbed his ankle, pulling him, making him stumble and lose his balance, making him fall to the ground, his weapon slipping from his spent fingers and clattering to the floor, his torso making hard contact with the concrete below, his breath leaving him as the hit compressed his lungs. Vero Tear would forever be traumatized by that event, where his mind reverted back to its most primal instincts of survival, and tried to get him out of there.

His eyes widened impossibly as he was pulled back, toward the stairs, toward the basement, toward the darkness, toward _them_. "NO! NO! HELP ME, PLEASE HELP ME!", he screamed desperately, feeling the grip on his ankle getting stronger, strong enough to crush his bones. He tried to hold himself onto something, but the only thing he managed to do was to leaved bloodied claw marks wherever he tried to grab the floor, despair fuelling his actions as he flailed and screamed. "PLEASE! I'LL CHANGE! I'LL DO ANYTHING, PLEASE! JUST SAVE ME, I'LL DO ANYTHING!".

The three girls were looking at him and then, slowly, raised their eyes to look at his trapper. Vero Tear continued to flail and scream as he was dragged back down the stairs, his chin hitting every step and his mouth filling with blood. The three girls simply stood there, looking halfway between angry and horrified, before they disappeared as Vero was dragged further into the basement, dragged by a creature of Darkness itself, dragged never to be found again, dragged to suffer Oum knew what tortures.

"PLEASE SOMEBODY SAVE ME! I DON'T WANT TO DIE, PLEASE! HELP ME! PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING! I'LL BE NICE! I'LL STOP BEING A JERK! I'LL LEAVE BEACON! I'LL LEAVE _VALE_ , JUST GET ME OUT OF HERE!".

Behind him, his capturer chuckled lightly as he continued to flail around, desperately trying to get a hold of something, _anything_ , to try and resist the pull of the Wraith. He didn't want to turn around. He knew turning around was like looking down. It was asking for it to get worse. He never stopped screaming, his now utterly broken nails scraping the hard floor and leaving a bloody trail for everyone to follow. A _trail of blood_ , ironically. The boy couldn't even process the irony as he was dragged further away from the light and the stairs, his screams becoming echoes of screams, and then echoes of echoes.

 **"As I said, you will not step between me and them"**.

Vero's eyes widened and his screams increased in volume, his own vocal chords straining to keep them up, and his flailing strengthened twofold with the power of desperation. He didn't want to be alone with that monster. He didn't want to die. He couldn't die! He had attended an Academy _because_ he didn't want to die. Vero Tear was a coward at heart. He would kick the weak and kiss up the strong because that was how the world worked. He had always been good at it, but now he knew that it wasn't gonna be enough.

"PLEASE!", he begged, tears running down his cheeks in streams. " _PLEASE! DON'T LET ME DIE! PLEASE!_ ".

He knew nothing was gonna be enough. He knew he was going to die, and there was _nothing_ he could do about it. He knew that for all his screaming and flailing, no one would come, or at least no one would come soon enough to save him. He knew he was gonna die in an excruciatingly painful way, his body torn and ripped apart by those monsters, his entrails spilled on the floor before his eyes, his heart carved out by hand and shoved down his throat. He knew what was coming and he could do nothing about it. He knew he was gonna die as he was dragged into the basement, leaving a trail of bloody claw marks and broken nails on the floor. Dragged into the darkness. Dragged to the Wraiths. Dragged to his doom. Dragged to his Death.

At the top of the stairs, all what was left of Vero Tear was his abandoned sword.

 ** _And that's how he ends._**

 ** _I've never asked for reviews, but I'd really like to get input on this one, if it's not a bother._**

 ** _Also, I haven't let Death fight yet. Vero wasn't her target. She let the others play with him. As for Vero, he learned that when someone's weapon isn't huge or unwieldy, they can easily dodge. I didn't want to make Misfortune look too strong, but how she won is an actual technique: tire your enemies out, and then strike. Too bad that Vero, in his hurry to flee from Misfortune, forgot about Death. It's like fleeing from a wildfire, forgetting the erupting volcano in front of you._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	14. A Grim Delivery

**_Hey everyone! Sorry, this chapter was ready yesterday evening but my connection just decided to break, so I'm now posting this from the local library._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

After they had told the others about Vero's demise, the two teams were shocked.

They weren't really shocked about his death. He had basically asked for it, and they wouldn't have saved him either way, but they were shocked to feel, inside their chests, a tightening at knowing _how_ Vero died. Dragged screaming into the darkness, his sword abandoned on the floor and animal terror in his eyes. He might've lived like a monster, bullying and harassing others, but he had died like a caged animal, abject fear in his eyes and meaningless screams in his mouth. They weren't truly sorry he had died... but they were human enough to be sorry of how he had died.

They had told Professor Goodwitch, of course. They had seen the stern woman scared for the first time as she went into the basement, searching for the body. It still hadn't been found. The trail of bloody scratches stopped against a wall never to reappear anywhere nearby. All classes apart from Combat Class had been suspended to let the Professors help with the search. Even Nora had been stunned by the shaken Glynda that had emerged from the basement earlier that day. The same Glynda who had flinched when Ozpin had suggested another search, but had accepted nonetheless, exhibiting much more courage than any of them. They hadn't dared even _peek_ into the basement, especially Ruby, Yang and Weiss.

Especially the ones who had seen Vero Tear being dragged screaming into the darkness.

Now, said three girls weren't Huntresses in training for no reason. They were trained also to endure the pain of losing a comrade, and to endure the horror of death, but they were also humans. Incredibly, it had been Professor Port the one who had stopped to comfort them. In hindsight, it shouldn't have been such a shock. Almost no Huntsman reached the venerable age of seventy-three without losing all his team. The professor had been unusually quiet when he had met them, telling them how death was something no one could escape from.

 _"Every time we lose a loved one, part of our soul dies with them"_ , he had said. _"Many people grow dull because they think that every day is just one day farther than the last day they were together. I like to think that every day is simply one day closer to the day you'll be together again"_.

They had been shocked to hear such wisdom coming from him, but again it was actually logic for him to have accumulated wisdom during years of fighting Grimm and losing comrades. When Weiss had argued that with said reasoning, one would be pushed to attempt suicide, Port had laughed.

 _"My dear, if you know the Sun is going to rise tomorrow no matter what, you shouldn't try to end the night earlier. Enjoy it while it lasts, because the day_ will _come. There is no stopping the Sun just like there is no stopping Death"_ , he had scolded her. _"Life is always beautiful. Why search for something you already know you will receive? Enjoy Life for as long as you can, and then enjoy Death as well, when the time comes. Why should I choose to be unhappy, when I can be happy knowing that one day my teammates and I will be together again, drinking together and sharing tall tales?"_.

The professor had left them with those shocking parting words. None of them had ever thought much about dying before the whole Wraith problem started, and they all had thought about it far too much after it did. They viewed Death as a black gate leading to indescribable darkness. Port viewed it as the sleep he will take at the end of the day. Death was Life's sleep to regrow the energies and refresh the soul before another Life took place, and after that another Death.

As they headed to Combat Class, they tried to shake those confusing thoughts from their heads.

Grown and trained as Huntsmen and Huntresses, they had all been taught to fight Death with their nails and teeth if necessary. They had been taught that the only thing darker than the Grimm was Death itself, an entity that sooner or later called all living beings under her dark cloak. Death had always been the event to avoid, the event to fear, the event where everything ended... but Port's words had shook that belief at its core, declaring that Death was nothing more and nothing less than one's soul going to sleep for a `short` while to refresh itself, leaving its physical body behind.

As they took their seats in Combat Class, however, they had another shocking surprise coming as everyone began shouting and pointing at the teacher.

"Yes, I understand you all must be really troubled at seeing him here", explained Ozpin from beside their new teacher, his mug nowhere to be seen. "But given the most recent events, I've decided to relieve Ms Goodwitch from her teaching duties for a while to help me deal with our problem. And thus, we had to choose another combat instructor...".

"And you chose him?!", shouted Russel from two rows above. Blake couldn't really fault him.

Roman Torchwick grinned as he stepped forwards. "Thank you! Thank you! Now, I'll be the first to admit it: I didn't expect Ozpin here to give me the position of teacher. But hey, your Headmaster has his ways to convince a man!", he laughed.

Nervously.

/-/ Roman's Flashback /-/

 _"You're serious?", asked Roman, disbelief obvious in his voice. "Oh Oum, you're serious..."._

 _"Mr Torchwick, I do believe that teaching was your career of choice whenever you were asked about your future, during your time in my Academy", recalled Ozpin, smirking smugly. "I'm giving you that choice"._

 _"You don't understand. My boss's gonna kill me", panicked the thief, running a hand through his hair. "She hates when I mess up, and this is a major mess-up!"._

 _"Try to call her and tell her you had no choice but doing what I said", shrugged the Headmaster. "It's not far from the truth, either"._

 _Roman had sighed in defeat and taken out his scroll, dialling the feared number. "Ehm... boss? There are news..."._

"What, Roman?" _._

 _"Ehm... I've received an offer as a teacher in Beacon and..."._

"Roman?" _._

 _"Yes, C-Boss?"._

"If you don't accept that offer, I'm gonna rip your guts off bare-handedly" _._

/-/

So, yeah, maybe it hadn't been really Ozpin, but _someone_ had convinced him pretty quickly. He didn't know why that scary woman wanted him to be a teacher in Beacon, but if she said yes, then it was yes.

"So, as Professor Ozpin here just said, Beacon is truly short of teachers right now, so he decided to call one of his former students here to temporarily take up the mantle of Combat Instructor", continued the orange-haired man. "And before you ask why isn't he himself taking care of the class, let me remind you that he is currently trying to solve a problem that could run much deeper than we previously thought. In that regard, he chose me, as the only remaining member of one of the best teams of Beacon... not really, that was a joke... to take Ms Goodwitch's place as Combat Instructor".

"A criminal?", shouted a viper Faunus boy, Eric Ivan, anger in his eyes.

"Yes, obviously", drawled Roman, sarcasm dripping from every letter. "Listen kids, and listen well 'cause I'm gonna say this just once". He smirked at the until all the noise had calmed down. "I don't give a fuck about you. But shit is hitting the fan and you need to be trained in a different way from how Glynda teaches. You'll have to learn how to really fight, not how to rely on weapons, Aura and Semblance".

"What he means is that during your career as Huntsmen and Huntresses, you won't always be able to fight in top condition", interjected Ozpin. "And thus I hired him to make sure you all learn this lesson. Think of it as humiliation fights, if it pleases you. The truth is that we don't want to lose any more students than we want to".

"So you hired a criminal?!", exclaimed Roger Mill, the leader of Team RGGE, a python Faunus with green scales on his beck and part of his torso.

"A misguided man, if it sounds less dishonourable", grinned Roman, looking at him. "Yes, I was a criminal. Meh. I've seen the heroes you all applaud so much do much worse things. At least I don't have innocent blood on my hands".

"Oh, sure we believe you", scoffed Blake, crossing her arms.

Roman narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh yeah? Well, I could tell you stories about other Huntsmen that would make your hair turn white", he countered angrily. " _Some of us_ can't bear abandoning people to the Grimm for too long, you know? I might be a criminal but hey: better be a criminal than leave people to die just because _the mission has been called off!_ ".

Ozpin placed a silencing hand on his shoulder, interrupting his shoulder and keeping him from breaking Melodic Cudgel from the sheer angle he was bending it at. "What Mr... _Professor Torchwick_ is saying is that he will teach you how to survive an encounter you would lose nonetheless", he said. "There is no need to lose your life if you can, like you teenagers say, _get the hell out of there_ ".

No one chuckled.

The old Headmaster sighed. "I know many... I know _all_ of you nurse hatred for Mr Torchwick, but he knows more about survival than many other Huntsmen". The Headmaster glared at the students for a second before continuing. "He's been officially hired for the career of Professor of Beacon Academy, so I suggest you all to start paying him the due respect because he _can_ and he _will_ give detention".

"Now, our first match will be between...". Roman let the sentence hang in the air as the system randomized the output. Many profile pictures of the students scrolled at high speed on the giant screen that would later monitor their Aura. After a few seconds of spinning, a picture came out. "...Cardin Winchester -you'd better get your ass here, lad- and...". The second spinner began to scroll, passing several pictures a second before slowing down.

Ruby Rose passed.

Weiss Schnee passed.

Blake Belladonna passed.

Yang Xiao Long passed.

It stopped.

"...Jaune... Arc", Roman finished lamely before turning to Ozpin with a glare and a hiss. "Why no one removed him from the randomizer?".

"Calm down, Roman", he replied with a sigh, glancing up at the picture of the boy. He looked so peaceful, so untroubled... Those days seemed so far now. "I'll ask this error to be fixed as soon as trouble stops being dumped on me".

"I will gladly take Jaune Arc's place", said a voice seemingly coming out of nowhere. All of Team RWBY, NPR, Ozpin and Torchwick stiffened at the voice. "If you just let me".

A figure walked out of a wall, even if just barely, clad in bloody and torn black clothes and with a cracked bloody mask. His left arm was still in the wall up to its elbow, but his right gripped his scythe with confidence and readiness.

Ozpin slowly raised his hand as to stop Roman or anyone watching from moving or attacking. "Wraith", he called out, his voice calm and even. "What do you want?".

The figure didn't move from his spot halfway into the wall, but he did turn to face the Headmaster. "I said I will gladly take Jaune Arc's place if you let me", he repeated without a hint of nervousness.

"And why should we?", growled Roman, bending his cane in anger.

The figure tilted his head sideways. "I have a deal with Mercy", he said. "If you let me fight... I will give a boy we took back".

"JAUNE!", screamed eight voices, seven from the students and one from the very man standing beside the Headmaster.

"No", countered the figure. "A poor excuse of a human being called Vero Tear", he said, pulling his left hand out of the wall and dragging an unconscious Vero Tear with him. He seemed mostly fine, even if a bit pale, despite having just gone through a wall.

"How...?!".

"If my clothes and my weapon can pass through walls", noted the figure. "Is it so hard to accept I can drag people through matter as well?".

"Why would we even want him back?!", shouted Gwen Crow, a crow Faunus from her seat two rows above Team RWBY and NPR. "He was an asshole to everyone!".

"Mercy took pity of him and begged for him to be released despite all his crimes", explained the figure. "But he _has_ been in Hatred's hands for a short while... and Madness helped".

He tossed the unconscious boy on the floor with a shrug. "I don't care about him", he said. "He revealed himself to be the worst kind of filth before Madness could even finish writing. I personally don't care if he dies or not, but I've always had a... soft spot for my dear sister Mercy".

The Headmaster kept an eye on the figure even as he called for the medics to come down in the arena and take Tear to the infirmary. "So you want to fight", said the Headmaster, the grip on his cane never faltering.

"That's what I said. But not just the idiot with the mace", stated the Wraith. "All his team. Here, in the arena. That's what I'm asking for. I will undergo the rules about the minimum Aura levels, if this reassures you in any way".

"It does not, but I'll admit I'm not as opposed to this as I thought I'd be", replied Ozpin, nodding at Team CRDL to get down and get ready. "You will fight Mr Winchester's whole team. A remarkable feat for a remarkable entity. Still, you've yet to introduce yourself... who are you?".

The figure smirked under the mask. "My name is Destiny".

 ** _So Vero isn't dead yet._**

 ** _Don't be surprised: I've shown so many `evil` Wraiths it was time for a bit of Mercy._**

 ** _Oum, I should stop with puns. Mine are worse than Yang's... almost._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	15. A Fated Fight

The five combatants faced each other with poorly concealed hatred from CRDL and poorly concealed amusement from Destiny.

All the students were watching, if not holding their breathes, at least extremely interested in the fight that would soon take place on the arena. It was no secret the four bullies weren't liked among the student body, partly because they were weak -disliked from the stronger arrogant students- or because they were always picking on others – disliked from the rest. More than a student had the secret dream of being the one to tear them a new one, and a few had even realized that dream... for example Pyrrha Nikos. Or Yang Xiao Long. Or Blake Belladonna. Or Nora Valkyrie - _"MY LEGS!"_ -. Or Lie Ren. Or Ruby Rose. Or Weiss Schnee...

Truly, a little more than a few people had beaten the bullies in a fight.

On the other hand, though, no one felt really on Destiny's side, especially the ones who knew who he was. Those seven students were gripping the iron rail with enough force to bend it, and a certain redhead was even making it shake. Roman Torchwick was white as chalk and his hands were trembling, but he fought through the horrible memories that were surfacing and focused on the match. Ozpin was right beside him, his cane ready at hand. Still, most students were cheering on the mysterious figure that had appeared from a wall.

Destiny's stance was relaxed and ready at the same time. He wasn't slumped and his weapon _was_ raised between him and his adversaries, but his frame wasn't tense nor he seemed the slightest bit nervous, be it arrogant cockiness or rightful confidence. His weapon of choice, Fatus, was angled toward the floor as if the four students weren't that much of a deal, but the fact that it was also angled as to sever the legs of whoever was unfortunate enough to go first pointed out how the first statement was untrue.

Team CRDL, instead, was both nervous and cocky. As any `respectable` bully, each of them pretended not to be unnerved by the black-clad figure in front of them, nor by the creepily bloodstained weapon he was wielding in his hands. They laughed and snickered confidently, boasting how they were going to kick his ass so hard he wasn't gonna sit for a month. Their mockery faltered temporarily when the only response to it had been a slight tilting of his head on the right, as if he was amused by their insults. Cardin glanced at the Aura levels and swore under his breath. _'Great'_ , he thought darkly. _'Now we can't even know if we're actually doing any damage'_.

On the left side of the screen there were four green bars paired with four pictures of Team CRDL, in the order in which their names had been ordered for the team name, and a percentage beside the picture showed the exact amount of Aura left. On the right side of the screen, though, no bar was visible, and the picture only showed the drawing of a serrated scythe on a red field. It was both unnerving and irritating not being able to see their opponent's Aura.

"Three... Two... One... Begin!", called out Roman's voice from out of the arena.

Russel immediately shot forwards, using his Semblance to spin on himself like a Boarbatusk and still being able to move, trying to surprise the figure, but Destiny simply sidestepped him and slashed at his unprotected back, sending him sprawling on the floor. As he scrambled on his feet, Destiny seemed to put his right hand under his cloak, obviously reaching for something, but when he retrieved his hand, it was still perfectly empty.

Instead, music began to play.

 _It's black, it's dark,  
they left me all alone.  
They left me, for spite,  
they're gone and now I'm crying._

As soon as the music began to play, Destiny dashed into action, charging the lonely Russel, who had just gotten back up from the floor, and smashing a foot into his nose, the cracking sound heard by all the students. Russel's Aura went from 87% to 70% in just one hit and the boy stumbled backwards, trying to avoid any more attacks from the figure. Luckily for him, his teammate Dove decided to use his Semblance too, Flight of the Dove, dashing toward Destiny while hovering ten feet from the ground. He swung his sword down, trying to gain the advantage due to the difference in height, but Destiny rolled aside, letting the boy strike his own poor teammate.

 _One for the forbidden love,  
he killed her in cold blood.  
Seven innocent souls,  
who still had to bloom in the world,  
he killed them just for his grief.  
One for the flames of revenge,  
he fought him until he fell,  
he killed him for a crime of Death._

Cardin chased forwards, swinging his large mace in a wide arc for maximum momentum, but his attack was simply ducked under and the boy found his neck right on the path of Fatus, fortunately not ending up beheaded, even if a large chunk of his Aura had just been depleted from his reserves. Destiny moved on to Sky, who was waiting for him to use his Semblance, Air Slash. That, combined to the Air Dust crystal in his halberd, created a strong sword-like gust of wind that flew towards Destiny at neck-breaking speed.

 _It's dark, it's quiet,  
they left me all alone.  
They left me, for spite,  
they're gone and now I'm crying._

Destiny executed a perfect frontal flip and jumped over the slash of compressed air, reaching the grey-blue-haired boy just in time to deflect Sky's first swing, letting his halberd crash to the ground before twirling his scythe around and disarming the boy, sending his weapon clattering to the floor a few meters away. He then had to roll out of the way as Cardin charged him again, swinging his mace two-handedly. Unfortunately, the burnt-orange-haired student had never been really good at calculating distances, and ended up hitting Sky square in the face, taking out a fair chunk of his Aura in a second.

 _Nine souls lost in blood,  
nine souls lost for hatred.  
Love couldn't defeat Death,  
love couldn't protect them.  
Through the echoes of the past,  
their dying wails haunt my mind,  
I was there, I saw them cry,  
and I had to watch them die._

Destiny was quick to return to the offensive with a low swing that swept Dove's legs out from under him, making him fall to the floor, his sword already coming up to prevent Fatus from carving a hole into his head. Russel dashed back in, stabbing at Destiny, who merely rolled backwards and jumped back on his feet, having avoided the attack by the breadth of a hair. His confidence renewed by this knowledge, Russel attempted a second stab, only for Destiny to release his left hand from the scythe and grab his right wrist. The green-haired boy could only cringe as the cloaked figure pirouetted and, using the momentum of his spin, crashed Fatus in the back of his head, sending him to a measly 20% of remaining Aura. One more hit and he was out... if this figure would really let him out.

 _It's dark, it's quiet,  
they left me all alone.  
They left me, for spite,  
they're gone and now I'm crying._

Destiny then had to step back from Dove's swing as the beige-haired boy closed the distance, hoping to trap the scythe between the owner and his longsword. The plan worked only partially, as Destiny used the handle of Fatus to land a solid hit on Dove's hand, forcing him to spin to decrease the force of the hit lest he lost his weapon. Before he could be hit, however, Sky rushed in, the point of his halberd aiming straight for Destiny's chest. For once trying to work as a team, Dove attacked again, trying to keep Fatus from deflecting Sky's attack. The technique was successful, since Destiny's weapon was busy with Dove's longsword, and Sky's halberd was going right for his heart.

 _Nine souls are now gone,  
lost in a meaningless war,  
the murdered have finally lost,  
but the killer still hasn't won.  
Death claimed all their souls,  
but my mind won't ever forget,  
they'll be forever inside me,  
they're here and now I'm __**Death!**_

But Destiny hadn't trained for nothing. Releasing his hold on Fatus with his right hand, he reached out and grabbed Dove's wrist, pulling him closer and shielding himself from Sky's attack by literally using Dove as a meat shield. Sky stumbled, trying to avoid impaling his own teammate, but his halberd still hit Dove in the shoulder, sending him flying a few feet away as Destiny let him go. The blue-haired boy tried to block the oncoming swing, and actually succeeded, but then the figure in black kicked his knee, making him fall to the floor. Fatus swung immediately, crashing against his Aura instead of his neck, and sent him rolling away, his Aura hitting 11%.

 _It's dark, it's quiet,  
they left me all alone.  
They left me, for spite,  
they're gone and now I'm crying._

Cardin now walked slowly, his mace ready to swing, wisely choosing not to attack immediately, and to avoid recklessness. He still glared at Sky for having been taken out of the fight, but he dismissed it as a talk they would need to have in the dorm. It was still three against one. Seeing a chance, he darted in with his mace, trying to cave in the figure's head, but Destiny duck low, spinning on himself and sweeping his legs out from under him. Cardin fell and rolled out of the way, expecting Fatus to come down for him, but instead saw that Destiny had charged Russel, who was now in a nervous defensive stance as he waited for the first attack.

 _ **Wrath**_ _in the flames of fury,  
_ _ **Hatred**_ _in the darkness of odium,  
_ _ **Betrayal**_ _over the innocent blood,  
_ _ **Madness**_ _before the horrid murder,  
_ _ **Agony**_ _over every old wound,  
_ _ **Vengeance**_ _for the fate of survivor,  
_ _ **Heart**_ _was the last redemption,  
_ _ **Light**_ _was everything left._

The serrated blade suddenly changed direction, letting the handle of the weapon smash against the twin shortswords. Using his leverage and greater strength, Destiny forced him to lower his weapons before smashing the handle of Fatus into the poor boy's face, dropping his Aura to 13% and thus knocking him out of the fight as well. Pushing him off, he turned around just in time to deflect Dove's slash, countering immediately with a horizontal swing of Fatus that was quickly dodged by the boy, although he had to step back for it. Seeing an opportunity to strike, Cardin charged again, ready to use his Semblance.

 _It's dark, it's quiet,  
they left me all alone.  
They left me, for spite,  
they're gone and now I'm crying._

The burnt-haired boy swung down his mace, activating both his Semblance and the Fire Dust crystal in his weapon at the same time. Dove rolled out of the way as Cardin's Semblance, Fire Blast, guided the fire into a very precise pattern, a linear explosion that cracked the floor of the arena. Unfortunately for him, Destiny already knew of his Semblance and his technique, and simply jumped over the flames and behind the bully. Cardin barely had time to look over his shoulder that Fatus's serrated blade smashed into his head, knocking him forwards and sending his Aura to 16%, and thus not yet disqualifying him from the match. Only Dove remained standing, and he was shaking...

 _ **They**_ _tore and cleaved,  
_ _ **they**_ _remedied the murder,  
_ _ **they**_ _taught him how precious  
an innocent life truly was.  
His blood flooded the ground,  
his limbs ripped from him,  
his black heart carved out,  
his entrails hanging from the ceiling._

...even more so when he began listening to the music, and he caught the last verses, turning of a chalky shade of white that made his brown eyes stand out even more, given just how widened they already were. Without wasting time, Destiny charged forwards, in a stance that was very similar to the one Ruby used when she charged with Crescent Rose. But instead of mowing down criminals, Fatus crashed with Dove's longsword. The weapon, already held shakily, flew from the boy's hand, and he could only whimper in fear before the serrated blade connected with his torso, sending him flying to the ground and lowering his Aura to 5%, the lowest so far. Destiny was about to thank Ozpin for letting him fight, when he stiffened. Someone was about to attack him. _From behind him_.

 _It's dark, it's quiet,  
but __**they**_ _'ve come to me.  
_ _ **They**_ _found me, afraid,  
_ _ **they**_ _taught me how to kill._

He turned around and sidestepped Cardin's diagonal swing, his eyes narrowing behind his mask. The boy hadn't technically been disqualified yet, and as sure as Death he wasn't gonna go down without having received a small _gift_ from Destiny. It was true he had returned Vero Tear because he had a soft stop for Mercy, but it was also true that Mercy hadn't been the only one he had in mind when he asked for a fight. Sidestepping another messy attack, he pirouetted behind Cardin, and slipped his scythe between the boy's legs. Cardin only had time to widen his eyes, and the majority of the students to cringe, before the serrated blade bit into his flesh, immediately taking out the rest of his Aura and anchoring into the flesh before Destiny ripped it off.

Cardin screamed as he lost consciousness.

Looking at his blade, Destiny shrugged. He'd clean it later. Turning to Ozpin, he slipped a hand into his cloak and stopped the song. "Thank you for this fight, Headmaster Ozpin", he said, nodding slightly in a sign of respect and gratitude. "Although I do have a few words for you".

Ozpin walked up to him, his cane in hand, and the students began whispering to themselves and cheering him on, but the man didn't attack. "And what would those words be?", he asked tensely as medical staff rushed in to take care of Cardin.

"Your school is full of evil, Ozpin", replied the Wraith. "Power corrupts... corrupts _a lot_. You're giving immense power to teenagers without the knowledge nor the maturity to use it. I might've taken a few minutes to defeat Team CRDL... but they alone would be able to kill countless civilians".

"That's why we ar...", began the Headmaster, but the Wraith literally growled at him.

"Bullshit! It's all bullshit!", he exclaimed, suddenly angry. "They're not ready for it! Most of them, anyway! Aura is a great benefit and tool to fight the Grimm, but how many criminals are still free to wander, steal, rape and murder just because they have Aura to protect them?!", continued the Wraith, stepping toward Ozpin, who didn't even flinch, even if he frowned. "Look at them! They are the best of the combat schools! But not the best Huntsmen, they are just the strongest! We all know that Darkness wants power more than Light does. They wanted to be strong just to be strong!".

"While we are aware of that, we...". Again, he was interrupted.

"You what?! You train them to be _nicer?!_ Don't try to sell me this, Ozpin!", shouted the Wraith, enraged. "They just don't have the _heart_ of a Huntsman! How many students, each year after graduation, lose the right path and gives in to power?! How many, Ozpin?! How many Huntsmen have you seen using their power for themselves, not caring about others?!", he continued to shout, now a mere five feet away from the Headmaster. "How many have you seen using their power to settle a grudge in blood?! HOW MANY!?".

Ozpin stayed silent for a bit before looking away. "Far too many...", he replied weakly.

Destiny seemed to lose all his burning rage. "Then maybe it's time you look better before allowing anyone in this school", he seethed. "Because most of the students I see don't deserve the power they've been given gratuitously. Power is earned through blood, sweat and time. Not just given to children because they like the idea", he spat the last words.

Then he turned and walked away, disappearing into a wall, leaving behind an entire class of shocked students. Before he disappeared into the wall, though, a demented voice laughed loudly before beginning to chant.

 _Silver, ice, amber, amethyst,  
turquoise, emerald, azalea.  
The wheel of fortune has turned,  
it's the Wraiths' round now,  
We'll wait for you today,  
in the shadows of the past.  
There you will have to atone,  
_ _before the day's dead, before the Sun's gone._

 ** _The lyrics of the song playing during the fight are my very own work, so please don't go searching for them on Google. Also, to anyone interested, I named this song `Origins` because it tells of how the Wraiths were born._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	16. Dark Atonement

**_Hey everyone, I know I already posted a chapter but this was ready so... I post it!_**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Nora, Pyrrha and Ren were, once again, sitting in front of the Headmaster to discuss of their next move. Yang, Weiss, Blake and Pyrrha were angry because he hadn't attacked the Wraith, but the man had coldly replied that in a hostage situation attacking the capturer isn't healthy for the captured. Roman Torchwick was silently smoking a cigar in a corner, having written the newest lyrics on a piece of paper and now reading them time and again, trying to decipher the hidden message. Everyone had gathered there after they heard that Vero Tear was awake, cocky as ever, and didn't seem to remember anything of what had happened. His Semblance had apparently undergone a change, too, now negating _all_ Aura in the range, even his. Ozpin had explained to him how Semblances were the manifestation of our souls, and thus the man had guessed he had undergone a traumatic experience if his very Semblance had changed. Needless to say, Vero hadn't been happy about the change, especially given the glares he was getting from Yang and the others.

"Okay, we already know you're supposed to do something", Roman summed up in the end, breaking the silence, looking up at the other eight people in the room. "Now we gotta find out what, when and where".

"When is pretty simple", replied Ren, looking out of the window. "The Wraiths said it themselves: Before the day's dead/Before the Sun's gone. Our time limit is until dusk".

"Okay, okay, Mr Ninja, we got you're the intelligent one of the group", snarked Roman, taking a puff of smoke and then breathing it back in the room, much to everyone else's chagrin. "Now we gotta work on what and where".

"I suggest we leave the _what_ for later, if you may", interrupted Ozpin, pacing back and forth for the width of his office. "The strophe does tell us where. We just need to understand it".

"But what _are_ this `shadows of the past`?", asked Weiss, exasperated. "It's insane! How can the past have a shadow? And even if he means ruins of the past, which one?! Remnant's full of ancient ruins and relics of the past. How are we supposed to find the right one within tonight?".

"You're looking at it in a too literal way", interjected, surprisingly, Nora. "It's not the literal shadow of the past. They chose those words for a reason. What is this past they're talking about?".

"Nora's right, they chose those words to distract us, but also to help us out", nodded Yang, pointing at them. "The `shadows of the past` aren't real shadows. Guys, what do you think when you imagine a shadow?".

"A dark place in an otherwise bright environment", replied Ren, raising an eyebrow. "You think that by `shadows of the past` they just mean a dark place? Like... the basement?".

"Also, Vero was dragged back into the basement when they captured him", added Weiss, eyes widening. "Do you think we should `atone`, whatever that will be, in the school's dungeon?".

"It speaks of a past... The school's dungeon is the only thing that has never been modernized of the entire school, and it's very close at hand, so it could be the `past` they're speaking about", reasoned Blake, nodding quickly. "And it's dark because the only light source would be the torches, and those have been unlit for years and years. Guys, Vero was in the basement because he followed Ruby, but Ruby said that Death was there as well! Guys, we found Death!".

Yang stood up immediately, eyes red and hair aflame. "Heart said we need to get rid of Death to save Jaune because she's the one to keep him trapped", she growled as she deployed Ember Celica. "Let's pay this Death a visit, and let's see if she likes a taste of her own medicine".

"You're wrong".

Everyone stopped and looked at the redhead who had spoken. Torchwick jerked his head toward Ruby, who was still staring at the picture of Team TASK with troubled eyes. "Listen to the kid. She has more brains in her head than all of you put together".

Yang frowned, but she turned to Ruby nonetheless. The young crimsonette placed the picture on the table for everyone to see and shook her head. "We're going in the wrong direction if we choose the basement, because they don't mean _our_ past, the past of Remnant", she stated, clenching her hands into fists. "They mean Jaune's past".

Roman nodded and fished out a scroll. "I'll have a Bullhead at the docks in ten minutes, Ozpin", he said. "We're going to Orlén, to the old Arc household".

/-/

The old family mansion of the Arcs was a creepy and magnificent sight all at once. It still retained much of its original greatness, with pillars, large windows and a huge garden. The courtyard, once a beautiful and cured garden full of splendid plants and flowers, now looked more like a little jungle, ten years of neglect taking their toll on the pristine order of the small woods in the courtyard. A single road was the only way they could reach the house without cutting through the vegetation, and they walked it in silence, slowly approaching the once lively mansion, now only a lifeless husk of what it once was.

Blake led the way, her Faunus senses ready to catch even the faintest sound, her yellow eyes scanning the depths of the plant-invaded garden for any sign of danger. She had Gambol Shroud unsheathed in her right hand, deployed into its gun mode to be ready to shoot anything out of the world if the situation needed it. Her other hand was kept in the air, hovering just above her head, the fingers open but not relaxed. In case of danger, she would only have to close her hand into a fist and everyone else would jump into action.

Behind her the others came in pairs.

Nora and Yang, being the hard-hitters of the seven of them, came immediately after Blake, Maghnild and Ember Celica deployed for melee combat, determined scowls on their faces. Their stances weren't tense, like any good fighter's stance would be, but they weren't relaxed, either, their knuckles white for the strength they were gripping their weapons with.

After them came Weiss and Ren, both agile and nimble fighter with good versatility and moderate ranged firepower, both for Storm Flower's machine-guns mode and Weiss's Glyphs. Neither of them had to switch between a melee and a ranged weapon mode since both their weapons were versatile enough to offer both at the same time. They were ready to drown any threat in a hail of bullets and Glyphs at the first sign of danger.

Following closely were Ruby and Pyrrha, the snipers of Team RWBY and Team NPR, their weapons ready in ranged mode, taking aim at every shadow they saw, never taking their eyes from the scope of Crescent Rose and the crosshairs of Miló, respectively. Both redheads looked around nervously, the muzzles of their weapons swinging dangerously as they waited for something to happen. Both of them were quick enough to be able to rush in at a moment's notice, but when said moment wasn't given to them as notice, at least their perfect aim would be able to score a hit before the fight could be upon them.

Closing the line walked Ozpin and Roman, both canes ready to attack. It was incredible how the two men could fight with such a similar weapon, and at the same time be so different. While Ozpin was ready but relaxed, Roman was tense and seemed about to snap and attack. Their eyes wandered around, both watching over the students ahead and making sure nobody and nothing was following them.

Unbeknownst to them, two were the figures that crept out of the Bullhead after they had disappeared from sight. The first was a tall black-haired boy with a segmented longsword hung at his hip, an angry expression on his face as he hurried after the nine, cutting through the vegetation to pass unobserved by them. It would take a bit more than using the road, but he knew not to underestimate a Huntsman's senses, especially Ozpin's. He wasn't dumb, only an asshole. Unbeknownst to him, a black-clad figure sauntered on the road after the nine had disappeared behind a turn. No weapon was visible, but the figure itself emanated an aura of danger.

/-/

"Are we sure it's here?", asked Weiss as they stopped in front of the front door. Despite the large mansion, the door wasn't huge or anything. It was made of fine dark pinewood, with delicate carvings of several crescents all over it, but it was otherwise a very normal door. Surely not a door onto a house that witnessed a slaughter ten years prior.

"Yes, it must be", nodded Ruby. "The basement of Beacon could've been a nice guess, but did you listen to the song that Wraith, Destiny, played while he fought? It sang how the Wraiths were born... and the Wraiths were born for what happened here".

"Why not Konis's house, then?", asked Yang. "I mean, the Wraiths appeared there, not here".

"It's a simple matter, really", interjected Ozpin. "The Wraiths weren't born in a place. They were born because of what happened here. _This_ is what gave birth to the Wraiths. Mr Konis's house... it's only where they were first seen".

"What do we do now?", asked Pyrrha, looking at the door. "What if they're all waiting for us?".

"Their goal right now is not to kill us", Ruby told her. "We're here to atone... There is at least another strophe in the poem Jaune wrote. I might be wrong, but my guess is that they don't want to end this too quickly".

"What if there's Death on the other side?", asked Blake, looking at Ruby. "Ruby, you are the only one who saw her and remembers it. How was she like? How did she fought?".

The crimsonette shook her head. "I don't know. She looked exactly like the other Wraiths, and I fled before I could see anything. I only saw her blocking an attack from Vero bare-handed, and blood exited from the wound, but she didn't seem fazed by it. Then she pulled the whip and kicked him in the face". She looked away. "And when she said who she was... I panicked and I fled".

Ren placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault, Ruby", he said softly. "For all we know, she could've been unbeatable. You did the only think you could do".

"I could've fought her!", protested Ruby.

"Given just how terrifying Vero was when we found him, I don't think it would've mattered", replied Yang.

Roman looked at them arguing before turning to Ozpin and sighing. "You know they'll have to go in alone, right?", he asked with a weary voice, knowing what reactions he was bound to receive.

"WHAT!?", everyone exclaimed, turning to him. He sighed again.

"Look, I'll admit I don't particularly like any of you, but I don't want you to be torn apart, either", he said, gesturing to the house. "The message was clear: `silver, ice, amber, amethyst/turquoise, emerald, azalea`. You are the ones who have to atone. We don't know how they will react if Ozpin and I try to interfere with this. They could even just decided to attack and kill you all".

"We can fight", stated Yang, loading Ember Celica. Roman laughed.

"Kid, those Wraiths killed an assassin", he said, pointing to the Arc household again. "Konis was definitely good at fighting. His Semblance let him become temporarily immaterial, very similar to those Wraiths, and his katana killed more than a few people. Eight just in this building. Do you really think these Wraiths are anything to joke about?".

"We're strong", growled Blake.

"No, Ms Belladonna, Mr Torchwick is right", interrupted Ozpin, looking thoughtful. "Trained or not, you are all seventeen. When Mr Konis died, he was forty-four. He entered Beacon at seventeen like you all did, graduated after four years of training, and then worked as a Huntsman and, apparently, an assassin for twenty-three years. You've all received five years of training as of now, some of you a few years more. If he died... what would _you_ be able to do?".

The seven looked away and Roman decided to cut in.

"Of course they could've just used Jaune as hostage, or surprised him in his sleep", he said. "If they corner you, I'll be the first one to say you gotta fight. What I'm saying is that you shouldn't look for a fight".

"We got that, but why shouldn't you come with us?", asked Nora.

"Because that could anger the Wraiths. They probably don't want the two of us peeking around", admitted the Headmaster. "But speaking of peeking... whatever you see in that house, keep it together. For all we know, there could still be the decayed corpses of the Arcs in there".

"And... I know this will sound crazy but... scatter", continued Ozpin. "As I said, it sounds crazy, but I think they want to face you all one at a time. Also... I found this, on the airship". He took out a piece of folded paper, showing it to the students.

 _ **One by one you'll be crying.  
One by one you'll have to fight.  
A rose will wilt before a broken heart,  
and the strict authority the ice will shatter,  
a nightshade will face her own mistrust,  
and the sun will burn in wrath.  
The lightning will be struck by insanity,  
the spear will submit to her fate,  
and the lotus will face the cold reason,  
here where murder still haunts us.**_

"Apparently, they liked to be cryptic", said Roman. "But what the hell with this stuff? I mean, I can get `rose`, `ice` and `spear`, but the rest?".

"Rose for me, Ice for Weiss and Spear for Pyrrha because those are our symbols. Also Ren and Nora have a lotus and a lightning in their emblem, so those are them", reasoned Ruby. "The belladonna's common name is the deadly nightshade, and Yang is always bright as the Sun".

"But what are we gonna fight?", asked Blake, puzzled. "A broken heart? My mistrust? Cold reason? What the hell are those?".

"Wraiths", stated Ren, alerting everyone else before raising a calming hand. "Those are Wraiths. We already know of Madness and Wrath. Destiny as well and I guess that the reason I will be up against will be Logic. We can't be sure we already met all the Wraiths. There might be more".

"A broken heart, the strict authority and mistrust", listed Roman. "Yes, they probably are. And they're apparently waiting for you to enter".

"Then let's not make them wait", stated Ruby, and got nods in response before turning and opening the door without a sound.

They all entered, finding themselves in a large room. It was dark and dirty, but without signs of battle. Dust gathered so thick on the surfaces it was difficult to see the real colour underneath. The room had three doors, not counting the door they had just entered from, two of them leading to two different corridors and the third leading to a second room. Three large bookcases lined up the East wall, with a gap between the second and the third for the door. An old carpet was set in the middle of the room, and a few drawers were on the opposite end of the room, all closed and holding remains of the past. The silence was complete, their own feet silenced by the thick dust. But in front of them, on the floor not covered by the carpet, there was a spot free from all the dust, having been cleaned recently. And just as recently there were seven drawings in blood that led to seven lines, leading to different directions.

A rose. A snowflake. A tulip. A sun. A lightning. A spear. A lotus.

They followed their symbols.

 ** _Okay, let's just say that the next chapters will probably be about the seven of them. The titles will be in order: Snowflake, Nightshade, Burning Sun, Lightning, Champion, Lotus and Rose._**

 ** _I know I'm getting annoying with all these short chapters but remember that this is a fic I could later pick up again and fill out its holes. Think of it as a skeleton: later I might add the flesh, or I might not._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh._**


	17. Snowflake

For a short while, Weiss followed the trail starting from her symbol, sided by Nora and Yang, whose trails both led through the same door, but soon enough the other two girls had to separate, since their trails deviated from the others. She walked room after room, but in the end it appeared as if her line climbed up the stairs and on the roof, as strange as that seemed.

She stepped on the flat roof, looking around in wonder. All around the Arc household, the once cured garden now lived wildly, creating a tangle of vines, branches and bushes so dense it was impossible to see through it. Always with Myrtenaster in hand and the other ready to invoke a Glyph, she walked up to the rail that encircled the balcony, not leaning against it but placing her right hand on it.

 _'It's beautiful'_ , she thought as she watched the landscape. The Arc household was quite a bit outside the town of Orlén, and it was thus free of the artificial landscapes she was used to back in Atlas. She could see the road driving up to the city, but most of the panorama were the wild forests and the mountains in front of them. Where Atlas had immense taigas of snowy pines and high mountains covered in pristine white snow, the surroundings of the Arc household were more temperate, the forest mainly made up of oaks and other deciduous trees. In the distance, she could see a river snaking through the forest, and on the sides of it several willows, their bent branches grazing the water. It was beautiful, and yet, as she turned her gaze towards the city, it was so very hostile to humanity. She wasn't fooled by the awe-inspiring sight of the forest: those woods were teeming with Grimm.

"Enjoying the view?", asked a voice behind her, and she twirled around with Myrtenaster ready to strike. Instead, she gasped as she saw a figure she recognized.

He was just like the last time she saw them. His clothes were torn in several points, even though she couldn't see anything underneath the cloth, which meant that either he wore something under that, or he simply did not have any flesh to speak of, and was made out of pure darkness. A dirty and ripped cloak gently moved in the breeze, brushing his ankles, the hood pulled up to hide the rest of his head. A cracked mask hid his features and eyes, dried blood crossing it vertically.

A Wraith.

"I guess you're the `strict authority` they spoke of", she greeted him icily, not removing Myrtenaster from between the two. He didn't seem to have his weapon with him, but neither he looked worried about his state of defencelessness. "Give Jaune back to us".

"Why?".

Weiss almost lowered her weapon in shocked fury. "Why? _Why?_ Because he's our friend!", she shouted at him, her hands tightening into fists. "He's our friend and we won't let you hurt him!".

"Didn't stop you from dumping him like trash".

"WE DIDN'T!", screamed Weiss, a Glyph forming unconsciously beneath her feet. "Team CRDL overheard him when he told us and they ratted him out! We wanted to keep him here!".

"Yet you didn't try to stop Goodwitch when she expelled him", he taunted her, his tone remaining flat and stern. "It probably would've done nothing, but it would've meant the world for him. You didn't even say goodbye. What kind of friend would just abandon him like that?".

She looked away. "We were ashamed of not being able to stand up for him", she growled lowly. "Then you all came here and started this mess. It's your fault now".

"Hadn't we stepped in, Jaune Arc would've left Beacon forever, too ashamed to even remain in touch with you. He would've probably returned to his old tutor and mentor, Roman Torchwick. And then he would've become an illegal vigilante over Vale while all his former friends lived on and became Huntsmen... just because murders and thieves hadn't left enough time for him to be trained", stated the Wraith. "Beacon should train the defenders of the world. Instead, you know what it trains?".

Weiss looked away, unable to hold his gaze.

"Warriors. Not good, not bad, just warriors. Warriors with incredible powers. Warriors with Aura, Semblances and deadly weaponry. Warriors who could destroy entire villages of innocent civilians", he answered his own question. "Have you notice just how few of Beacon's students are really going to be true Huntsmen? How many of them are just upholding a family legacy? How many of them will just drop the job as soon as they graduate? How many of them will use that power for their own gain, disregarding others for their own benefit? _How many will kill and maim and abuse of their power just because they CAN?!_ ".

Weiss flinched at the accusations and looked away again. "We would nev...".

"I didn't mean _you_ , Weiss Schnee", he interrupted sharply. "Vero Tear. Niall Wizard. Amy Null. Freya Timber. Draak Draíocht. Nathan Garnet. Rogue Wyrm. Wen Gyre. Gwen Crow. Roger Mill. Eric Ivan. Grey Major. Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Sky Lark. Dove Bronzewing. Those are just a few of the many students that deserve not to attend Beacon Academy".

Weiss clenched her fists tighter at every name. "They don't matter!", she exclaimed. "They are just jerks!".

The Wraith looked at her for a second before continuing. "You... you really can't understand, can you?", he asked rhetorically. "Those people... those _jerks_... are going to have immense power once they graduate from Beacon. Are you really going to let them free in the world with such powers? Tell me, Weiss Schnee, who do you think trained the leaders of the White Fang?".

Weiss looked down. "An Academy", she replied lowly.

"Who trained most of the assassins, famous criminals and mad conquerors?", he continued mercilessly. "Now look at your peers. Who do you think they will become? Criminals? Given what they do, they already are. Egoists? Again, they already are. _Murderers?_ Are you waiting for them to kill before stopping training them?".

Weiss raised Myrtenaster again. "What's your point?", she growled.

The Wraith gestured around him. "Jaune Arc was weak", he began, and it was already a bad start since Weiss's grip on her rapier tightened. "But he was also two other things. He was an incredibly quick learner... and he was good-hearted".

"What?", asked Weiss, taken by surprise.

"Don't get me wrong: Jaune Arc isn't and will never be an angel. But he was ready to give his life for others. And he was ready to learn how to protect people", he continued. "What was wrong about him? A miserable piece of paper. What differentiated him from his peers? Ink on paper. He would still be there at Beacon, hadn't he decided to trust you and tell you his secret".

Weiss's eyes widened as she began to understand where the figure was going.

"Jaune Arc was expelled because of paper. People like Vero Tear were kept because they had influence and their papers weren't forged. They weren't lies". The Wraith stopped for a second, and Weiss imagined a smirk forming on his face. "But what are lies? Some say they are the opposite of truths. I say they're just truths that aren't true _yet_. But instead of giving him time to make his transcripts true, he was kicked out while bullies and half-criminals were allowed to remain".

"The world is not fair", replied Weiss, gritting her teeth. "He should've remained, but the rules are the rules, and only the ones with power and influence can bend the rules".

"Power and influence", he chuckled darkly. "Two of the things Darkness yearns for. The Light is never interested in power just for power. It knows how to settle for moderate power. But Darkness? Darkness grows and grows until it fills the world, its hunger for power never ending".

"Are you saying all the important people are evil?", growled Weiss.

"They are powerful, and power corrupts the mind", he retorted. "Take Ozpin. He is immensely powerful and greatly influential. But, I'll admit, he resisted the corruption moderately well... now take the Council. They are less powerful than Ozpin but way more influential. If a village were to ask for help, and a rich man were to ask for escort, at the same time, with only a limited number of Huntsmen ready... which one do you think they'd choose? The village, to save countless more lives... or the rich, to gain uncountable more money?".

Weiss closed her eyes. "The rich man", she answered, having experienced that kind of thing first-hand with her father. Money came before people, for the Council.

"But they're not _evil_... they just lost sight of the small things", continued the Wraith. "Maybe with that money they would build walls around another village, saving even more lives. Now, which one is the right thing to do?".

Weiss shook her head. She knew that politics was complicated. "There is no right choice", she said in a small voice. "Either way, people die. They can't save everyone. And sometimes they have to give up... even if it costs hundreds of lives".

"That's what happen when you gain too much power", concluded the figure. "You stop caring about the smaller things because you can see the larger picture".

Weiss exhaled slowly. "So you just wanted to tell me Goodwitch was wrong when she expelled Jaune?", she hissed dangerously. "Well, I already knew that, thank you".

"You're here to atone, not to learn", he replied, sternness creeping into his voice. "We are here to talk about Jaune Arc".

"What about him?", she snarled. "You captured him! That's it! What should we talk about?! He was a wonderful person and you captured him!".

" _That_ , is what we are going to talk about", the Wraith interrupted her, and then seemed to chuckle at her puzzled frown. "What do you think of when you think about Jaune Arc?".

Weiss's frown turned into a scowl before sighing. "He was one of the kindest people I've ever met... even if that's not saying much, since before coming to Beacon I've always been surrounded by arrogant heirs of rich families", she began. "He was also a very nice person... even if he _was_ too hellbent on asking me out. He couldn't take a no for an answer, but he never bugged me too hard, just... all the time. He would back off once rejected even if he always asked me out again the day after".

The Wraith seemed interested.

"He wasn't the best at fighting, but he _did_ come up with a plan to kill the Deathstalker when none of us, people who trained for years, could. Ironic how the untrained and the child were the ones who better handled the leadership". She took a deep breath. "For the longest time, I despised him. His very presence was annoying to me. His stupid jokes, his goofy clumsiness, his always too wide smile, his always kind eyes... everything about him just irked me in the wrong way. From the way he spoke to the way he held himself. From the fact he couldn't fight, to the fact he never stood up for himself, to the fact he was behind many in most classes".

"And now?", inquired the figure.

"Now... Oum, it's really true that hindsight is 20/20. Now... now I miss him", she admitted softly. "I would still reject his advances but... less harshly. It's really true that you realize how precious to you something was only after you lost it. Before losing Jaune, I often wished he would just disappear and never come back". She laughed bitterly at that. "And it seems Oum heeded my wishes and sent him away. I passed the first nights awake, unable to sleep, thinking how all of this had been my fault. It's no secret I wasn't and probably never will be a fan of Jaune but... now I regret being so cold with him. I would've liked to get to know him more". Her face turned sad. "Now I don't know what I would give just to have his serene presence back...".

"What about an offer?", the Wraith offered. "Are you ready to give up something precious to you if it means having Jaune Arc back? Are you ready to lose something you care about?".

Weiss stilled and looked at him. "It depends on what I would be giving up", she said slowly.

"Your eyes", he replied, gesturing to her face, and she stepped back, alarmed. "Would you be ready to give up your eyes, your sight, to have him back?".

Weiss clenched her fists. It was so easy to just answer yes, but she couldn't answer thoughtlessly. Without her eyes, she would be unable to continue her career as a Huntress. At least not immediately. She would be sent back to her father, a man she despised, until she was able to continue her training even without her sight. She would need to learn a new fighting style, since her current one was based on precision, and she wouldn't be able to hit precisely without her eyes. But her training wouldn't be the only thing she would lose. She would lose the colours. She wouldn't be able any more to sit at her window and watch the snowflakes fall from the sky, nor she would be able to awe at a wonderful landscape like the one just behind her.

Her thoughts then went to Jaune. Her eyes for a life... would that really be such an expensive price to pay? Also, she was sure he would do everything in his power to help her. He and his friends, _her_ friends, would find a way to help her. They would read for her, see for her, and live with her no matter the condition she would end up in for her sightless eyes.

Then a thought struck her.

 _'Jaune would never be able to accept the fact I gave my eyes for him'_ , she realized. _'It would probably make his life miserable in self-loathing... he is the kind of person to do that...'_.

"So?", the Wraith urged her with expectation in his voice. "Weiss Schnee, would you be ready to give your eyes, to give your _sight_ , if that could return Jaune to you and your friends? Would you still do it, even if it ruined your career as a Huntress? Would you still do it, even if it meant never see again?". When she stayed silent, he tilted his head sideways. "Think about it, Weiss Schnee. Your atonement is over. You may go". He turned and walked away. "Your eyes for his life. Would you do it?"

She had no answer for that.


	18. Nightshade

**_Hey everyone! Yesterday I hurried to update the last chapter so there was no note, but now I'm back!_**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

Blake was wary as she separated from Ren and Pyrrha, her trail leading her down a stair and into the garden, turning from a clear line to spots and stains of blood on the leaves and trees. She hadn't ran into any Grimm, and if her guess was right it was probably due to the Wraith of mistrust the message spoke about. She didn't know exactly what she had to do, but it wasn't really important. While she hadn't been Jaune's closest friend, she did care for the blond knight, and surely she wanted to stop those nightmares she kept having.

The woods around her were beautiful, really. Oaks and birches were alternated by yews and low pines. She could even hear water running down a far river. It was such a pity she was following, instead of colourful flowers and marvellous plants, a trail of bloodstains. Her attention was focused only for a fourth on the trail, the other three fourth alert for the tiniest sign of danger. Gambol Shroud was already deployed in sword mode in her right hand, ready to slash through anything blocking her path, be it Grimm or Wraith.

Finally, the trail seemed to end in a clearing. She looked around, even climbing up a couple of trees to see if it continued a bit further on, but the blood wasn't anywhere to be seen apart from the one she had been following. She nested herself on a tree, sitting on a branch, to have less directions to keep an eye over, Gambol Shroud tight in her fist and her scabbard/cleaver in the other. Under her thighs she could feel the rash bark irritating her skin, but she ignored it to look around. The clearing was small, hidden deep within the woods that surrounded the mansion. In the distance she could see a line of mountains. Behind those, she knew there were only Grimmlands.

A movement in the undergrowth caught her attention. Her eyes narrowed as she jumped down her tree, her weapon trained in the direction of the movement. "I know you're here", she said. "Come out now, before I carve a hole into your head".

A tall figure clad in black calmly walked out of the undergrowth, much to Blake's frustration: her nightvision let her see perfectly in the dark, but it could not let her see through the dense foliage of the forest. That, mixed with the fact that those Wraiths' smell was simply blood and dirt, covering any underlying odour, didn't help her relax. For all she knew, there could've been three more hidden in the trees.

"Blake Belladonna", the figure greeted her. "The secret Faunus".

"Not so secret if everyone knew about it", she replied bitterly. "What do you want?".

The figure took another wary step forwards, her scythe in her right hand, positioned to stand between the figure and Blake. "Me? I'm just here to talk... and fight if you attack me, of course", she retorted in kind. "But you? You're here to atone, Blake Belladonna. My time isn't infinite, so I suggest you to hurry up".

Blake's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Very well, first question, how do I atone?", she growled, not trusting the Wraith to put away her weapon and thus keeping her sword raised. "Tell me, so we can both go our way".

"It's not so simple. Before you can atone, you need to think", the figure walked sideways, never letting Blake out of her sight. "Tell me, why do you wear a bow to hide your cat ears?".

Said cat ears pinned against her head at that question. It was a personal matter. "Why should I tell you?", she snarled at the figure. "I don't trust you".

The figure laughed. "My, my, my, I thought we would need more time to come to this", she chuckled, her weapon still between them. "Tell me, which of us are you facing right now? Do you remember the message Death left on the airship?".

Bake paled. _'Death is here as well'_. For a split-second, she thought of just running and alert the others, but then took a deep sight. She needed to atone first, whatever that might be. "The line about me said `the nightshade will face her own mistrust`. That's it".

The Wraith waited for her to realize the connection, but when she didn't, she continued. "Your own mistrust, Blake Belladonna. I am Mistrust. We are here to talk about your mistrust", she explained tensely. "So tell me, why are you wearing that bow?".

Blake gritted her teeth. "To hide my ears", she replied curtly, but when it became clear the Wraith was waiting for more, she almost closed her eyes in frustration. Almost. She had learned never to close her eyes in front of an enemy. "I want to hide my Faunus heritage to avoid discrimination".

Mistrust laughed. "Oh my, this is not all", she said, sadistic mirth in her voice. "Blake Belladonna, you didn't tell your very own teammates because you didn't _trust_ them".

Blake exhaled slowly. The Wraith was just trying to annoy her into making a mistake and lowering her guard. "Where is this going, Wraith?", she asked angrily. "I'm here for Jaune, not for you".

"I will let you go when I will decide you've atoned", replied the figure, her mirth toned down.

"So I'm trapped?!", exclaimed Blake, eyes narrowing and muscles tensing, ready to flee at a moment's notice. Maybe through the woods she would be able to lose the Wraith... even if she didn't count on it, since she couldn't walk through matter.

"No".

"Uh?", she said, very intelligently. "But you said...".

"You can go whenever you want", specified the figure. "But only if you stay until you've atone, you will be able to continue walking the Trail of Blood".

Blake was silent, instead opting for nodding slowly, her weapons still trained on the figure.

"Now tell me, Blake Belladonna", chuckled Mistrust. "You often said that in your world, the strong lives and the weak dies. That Jaune Arc was weak and he couldn't stand up for himself". The Wraith leaned ever so slightly closer, making her tense even further. "Now tell me, Blake Belladonna, why don't you take off that bow of yours and stand up for your race? Or are you too scared, too _weak_ , to do it?".

The statement struck her hard. She had never thought about it, but the Wraith wasn't wrong. She wasn't right, either, because she didn't _know_ just how terrible Faunus were treated, but it was true that she, a Huntress in training, should've stood up for her race instead of hiding it under a fake black bow. But there was more to it than just hiding her heritage. She didn't want to be recognized as a former member of the White Fang, too, even if she knew that just covering her ears wouldn't be enough. She would've needed makeup, different clothes, hair dye _and_ the bow. Just using a bow wouldn't hide her from the world.

So she opted for the truth. Those Wraiths were obviously unnatural, so it wasn't like her secret would be spread all across the world. And sometimes the truth is all you can say to avoid trouble. She had the creeping guess that the Wraith would be able to tell truth from lie if she decided to lie.

So she didn't.

"I wear a bow to hide my Faunus heritage", she repeated slowly, gauging the reaction of the figure. There was none. "Because only Faunus can enter the White Fang, and thus I am also hiding the fact I am a former member of that organization".

Mistrust tilted her head sideways, taking in the new piece of informations. "A former terrorist, then?", she asked cheekily. "Wow, and here I thought you were just hiding cat ears. What else hides that bow? Thefts? Wounds? _Murders?_ ".

"NO!", she snapped furiously. "I left _before_ the White Fang turned into a killer organization! I left because their leader turned into murderer! I left because I didn't believe in their methods any more!".

The Wraith tilted her head even further, the popping noise her neck made sounding terribly loud in the clearing. "So you hid your past and lied to your very friends because you were afraid of discrimination", she summed up. "Because you were too weak to stand up for your race. To stand up to the racism".

Blake gritted her teeth, a snappy remark ready on her tongue...

"Then why are you still in Beacon when Jaune Arc, whose lies were far less important, was expelled?", asked the Wraith, silencing her in an instant. "He lied about how strong he was. You lied about your very own race, and the fact you once belonged to an organization of murderers and thieves".

"They're just misguided!", she snapped, angrily.

The Wraith laughed. "And so, instead of remaining and trying to guide them back to the right path, you simply turned your back and ran", she laughed at her. "You left the organization in the hands of a murderer. Your words, not mine. They are just misguided Faunus, Blake Belladonna... but are they?".

"What do you mean?", she hissed. "Of course they are!".

"And what about the human racists?", inquired the figure, her weapon still raised between them. "What about them? The ones who kill, belittle, discriminate and enslave Faunus?".

She knew how to answer that. If only she had also known that it was obviously a trap. "They're evil!", she snarled, feral.

"So let me get this straight: if a Faunus murders humans and steals, they're misguided, but if a human belittles a Faunus they're evil". She would've paused for effect, but she knew Blake was close to erupting. "Really, your view of the world is _exemplar_ ".

"That's not what I meant!", she shouted. "If a Faunus were to steal or murder, I would condemn them just like a human murderer or thief! But the members of the White Fang are just Faunus who want to just be _accepted_ by the humans!".

Mistrust stopped laughing.

"Violence isn't the right way. Do you realize how worse the situation actually is now? Yeah, the politics regarding Faunus are a little better than before, but how the people actually treat Faunus has just gotten worse and worse", she explained tersely. "So you decided to leave the White Fang and become a Huntress to prove that even Faunus can be good, unlike many people think. Am I right thus far?".

Blake sighed angrily. "You kinda are".

"Then why are you hiding your heritage?".

Blake exhaled, and all her anger went with that breath. "Okay, fine, you're the smarter one", she growled in defeat. "I hide my ears because I fear I will be discriminated. I didn't trust my friends to remain by my side, even if now I know they've known all along and they hadn't cared about it".

The Wraith clapped her hands. " _Trust_. That's what you lacked. That what you still lack", she said. "Now, Jaune Arc instead trusted you all to tell you about his secret. Tell me, Blake Belladonna, of the two of you, which one was the strongest?".

Blake shrugged. "I was, and still am".

"And yet, who was the one who revealed his secret? Who was the one to trust his friends?", asked the Wraith. "Tell me, who was the braver one, the one who dared face the consequences of his choices instead of fleeing them?!".

Blake looked away for the first time since they had started talking. "He was", she admitted in a low voice.

Mistrust nodded severely. "Now, Blake Belladonna, we can start your atonement", she said seriously, all traces of mirth gone from her voice. Blake perked up. "When you think about Jaune Arc, what comes to your mind?".

Blake withered. "I... I have no idea", she admitted miserably. "I barely ever talked to him. To me, he was just the idiot. The clumsy failure who wasn't strong enough to stand up for himself. The weak who would've died in many hardships I had to go through. In everything, he was less than me. Weaker, basically illiterate if compared to me, socially inept, goofy, clumsy and overall surely not a good Huntsman".

Mistrust tilted her head sideways.

"Even the times when I saw his kindness, his helpfulness, his friendliness... I always dismissed him as unimportant, weak and overall something not to become at all costs", she continued weakly. "Then he disappeared, and I never felt more ashamed of myself in my entire life. He disappeared without saying goodbye, and never came back. As much as I despised his weakness, I never wished him any ill".

"Do you still despise him?", asked the Wraith.

"No. His past and mine were different, but both of us have dark ones. I was born and grown in the White Fang, and I left it only _after_ Adam became a murderer. I never saw that coming because I was too blind to realize what we were doing was wrong. He, instead, was just an innocent soul who had to witness his family being slaughtered for a sin of love. Then _you_ came into his life and killed his father, forcing him to be adopted by a criminal, Torchwick". Her voice got angrier and angrier. "He learned how to lie, forge, cheat and trick with that man, something that undoubtedly helped him many times, but he basically grew up on the other side of the law!".

"Keaa Konis was an assassin and a murderer", replied Mistrust. "We simply removed him before he could turn Jaune Arc into another assassin. As for Roman Torchwick... he became a criminal because he was disillusioned by Huntsmen. People who had the power to save other people, and instead used that power to hurt them. Keaa Konis was one of those people".

Blake huffed in annoyance. "Then I discovered he had know of my Faunus heritage all along and hadn't even cared. Not in the slightest. I read his diary and I felt ashamed of myself, because when he judged my reasons to become a Huntress, he was right. I shouldn't hide under a bow". She growled and shook her head. "What I think of Jaune Arc? He was a kind person, an open-hearted soul like few. There should be more like him in the world. And even if he was weak... that was training is for, isn't it?".

Mistrust laughed derisively. "Oh, so it was enough for you to know he isn't racist to turn him from a failure into a kind soul who could be trained into become a shining knight?", she taunted Blake before stopping so abruptly the girl flinched. "Tell me, Blake Belladonna, hadn't you found out he wasn't racist, would you have talked so high of him now? Or would you have dismissed him as a failure?".

Blake looked away.

"Your atonement is over, Blake Belladonna", stated the Wraith, surprising her. "You may go back to your friends. But keep this in mind: first impressions are never reliable". The figure walked back into the woods, her masked eyes never leaving Blake's, walking through trees and bushes as she disappeared.

In a minute, Blake was alone again.

 ** _Finally I got to say what I think of the White Fang._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	19. Sun

Yang separated from Nora shortly after Weiss took off on her own, each following their own trail. The shorter redhead had wished her good luck and Yang was sure she would need it. Both her and Nora would need it, because both of them were impulsive, and the Wraith had already proven how big of a mistake being impulsive against them was. The blonde hated how weak she felt, how helpless and at the Wraiths' mercy she was being, but she knew there was nothing she could do with it.

Yang Xiao Long wasn't used to being helpless. She had always been one of the strongest fighters of Signal. Even at Beacon, she was defeated only by a few, like Pyrrha and Vero. She could pack a mean punch and her shotguns weren't to joke about either. Her fighting style was being hellbent on pulverize any opponent, so it was an efficient one. No playing around, no dancing away, no flexing your way out of hits, just blasting everything in her path until the path was clear. That was how she had lived until then and how she intended to live in the future.

Unfortunately, there had been a drawback. So used to be the strongest fighter of her class, so used to being surrounded only by matching fighters, she had been... less than appreciative of Jaune when she had met him. Apart their similar hair colour, they were polar opposites. While she was strong, outgoing, outstanding, skilled and confident, he had been weak, shy, unassuming, clumsy and self-insecure. Her style was all about overpowering her opponents, but Jaune wouldn't have been able to overpower even the weakest of Beacon's students. And unfortunately, her teasing nature had turned him into one of her favourite targets.

Now she regretted much of her behaviour around the boy. Not to say she had ever bullied him. She would've always been there for him when he needed help. But that was the problem. In her mind, there was no `if` he needed help, only ` _when_ ` he needed help. For her, Jaune had always been a good friend, but one she'd have to save time and again all thorough their friendship. A friend who wouldn't be able to look after himself.

"You have some serious guts showing up here".

Yang spun around so fast she got hair whiplash. Cocking her right fist, she glared at the figure in front of her. She hadn't changed since last time. The same long dirty cloak, the same torn bloody clothes, the same cracked creepy mask. The Wraith was in a combat stance as well, one not dissimilar to the one Ruby used right before charging in with her Semblance, scythe positioned behind her and pointing slightly downwards, ready to slash diagonally with incredible momentum. The figure in front of her was using the same stance, serrated scythe behind her but ready to cut through Yang at a moment's notice.

Yang's eyes flared crimson. "Rage", she greeted.

"Wrath", corrected the figure with equal fury. "I see you haven't fled screaming for mommy".

Yang's fists tightened exponentially. "Okay, listen you little bitch, give us Jaune back before I smash your nose in with all that fucking mask of yours, and then we'll see if you can live without a head".

"So much anger, so little control", laughed the Wraith, laughed at her. "This is the difference between you and me. You have no auto control over your anger, while I can use it to fuel my will to an unbreakable level, and to increase my efficiency in combat without losing anything in the field of precision".

"Fuck you", growled Yang. "Take a long, long pole and fuck you, your siblings, your parents, your ancestors and all the gods you believe in!".

Wrath continued to laugh. "Yes, I see why the call you Little Sun Dragon", she noted with wicked mirth. "You have the power and scorching heat of a little sun, but you still lack the control of a dragon. I bet that, if they had left you in control, you would've tried to fight us from the start. Am I wrong?".

The blonde girl smirked evilly. "Who said we aren't gonna fight?", she chuckled in return. "After this madness will be over, I'm gonna track you down and make you pay for everything you did".

"You could, or you could try and think with your mind instead of with your fists", retorted Wrath. "There is a solid reason for which Ruby Rose was made team leader instead of you. While you are an undoubtedly good fighter, there is a reason for which you're not a _great_ fighter".

"And what would those be?", growled Yang, already getting tired of the seemingly idle talk. "No, wait, I know. It's because my form is sloppy and my strikes are predictable, isn't it? Thank you, I don't need your advice, _Wraith_ ".

"It's _also_ for those reasons, but not _only_ for those reasons",Wrath returned in kind. "Sloppy and predictable? Yes, maybe you are. But your greatest flaw is that you have a one-track mind during your fights. You don't plan, you don't observe, you don't evaluate. You just fight".

"When I'm in a fight, I fight", snorted Yang. "Jeez, your advice is fucking useful, you know?".

"You never change approach, never have a backup plan, and never use strategy. You rely on the others for that. On your own, you have zero versatility. You are your team's bulldozer", continued the Wraith as if nothing had happened. "That gets you killed in a fight with a smart opponent. An opponent who observes you, evaluates you, figures out your weakness and when you less expect it... exploits them wickedly".

"I'd like to see anyone try to exploit _my_ weaknesses", cockily laughed Yang.

"Maybe another time", darkly chuckled the figure. "But the point is that while you're a good fighter, you're not _great_. Look at Pyrrha Nikos. Her form is almost flawless, but she changes it several times during her fights because every style has its flaws. Switching from one to the other, always keeping your opponents guessing, it's the best way to fight".

"Thank you for the tip on how to beat you guys", smirked the blonde girl before scowling. "Now, do you have any more words to say before I cave your head in?".

"Now let's pass onto another subject I'm sure you are very familiar with... Jaune Arc". The Wraith never relaxed from her fighting stance, instead gripping her weapon tighter. "Jaune Arc was weak in combat, wasn't he? But at least he could tell when something simply _wasn't working_. Like he came up with a plan to beat a Deathstalker during your initiation, when he noticed that simply trying to smash and hack their way through it wasn't working. He adapted to the situation and won the fight".

"Yeah, okay, Jaune was a good strategist, and so?", growled Yang. "What does this have to do with me? Is this what I have to do to atone? Admit he was a better strategist than me? Okay, I admit it, he was! It's no secret he was good".

"Yang Xiao Long, this is not what I'm here to talk about, but rather it's something I'd like to address before you can atone properly", returned Wrath with an even voice. A controlled voice. "You know that, had everyone followed you when you wanted to hunt us down, you would've probably all died?".

"Ozpin can stop time", scoffed Yang. "Can you beat _him?_ ".

"What does it matter if I can simply wait everything out inside a hidden wall and no one will ever be able to tell where I am?", replied the figure. "No matter how highly you think of yourselves, you're not immortal. No one is. Death will befall on everyone, be it human or Grimm, plant or animal. Even the mountains will one day be no more. The sooner you accept your own mortality, the sooner you will be able to really see the world as it is. I suggest you to accept it on your own, because the only other way... is to see a loved one die in front of your eyes".

"I'm strong enough to protect the ones I love", growled Yang.

"And what about Jaune Arc? Did you not care about him?", inquired the Wraith, having drawn her in a trap. "Is this what you mean? If you're so strong, then why is he still in Death's hands? If you protect the ones you care about, then where were you when we took him?".

"How could I have known that some creepy Avatars of Death would've captured him and kept him trapped while they wrote with his blood menacing messages to his friends?!", she freaked out. "This is insane! How could I have predicted _this?_ ".

"You couldn't have", replied the Wraith. "That is why I told you sometimes you just aren't strong enough. It's a sad truth, but a truth nonetheless".

"I repeat: fuck you", spat Yang. "You killed a man, captured an innocent boy and caused all this problem, and then you have the balls to give advice?!".

"Advice you should listen to", added Wrath. "Do you really think I'm here just to scold you, though? Because I am not and, ready or not, now your atonement commence".

"Fine, come at me, then, you freaky bastard", Yang growled, falling back into an aggressive stance, fists raised to strike. "Try to exploit _my_ weaknesses, if you can manage".

"When you think of Jaune Arc, what do you think about him?".

"Uh?", made Yang, shoulders slumping slightly in surprise at the unexpected question. "What?".

"I've asked you a question. When you think of Jaune Arc, what do you think about him?", repeated the Wraith, his weapon still ready to cleave her in two. "Answer, and answer truthfully".

Yang frowned. "He was a friend", she replied curtly. "Why?".

"This answer is unsatisfying. _Extremely_ unsatisfying", the Wraith shook her head. "If you want to atone, you need to answer this question. Not to avoid it".

Yang gritted her teeth. _'What comes to my mind when I think of Jaune, eh?'_. She huffed. "He was a very kind person, and always ready to help", she recalled slowly. "But he was also weak. Since I've grown up surrounded by Huntsmen, I guess my vision of his was a little biased against him from the start, but this doesn't change the fact that he was weak, the weakest in class".

Wrath nodded at her, urging her on.

"Since both my father and my uncle have been teachers at Signal I've always been used to study and take good grades. When I saw that his grades were... not the best in most subjects, I admit I dismissed him as lazy and faineant", she continued, choosing each word carefully now. "I even thought him a bad influence for Ruby for a while, before I realized just how kind and friendly he was... I guess that's why Ruby crushed on him so hard".

Wrath literally dropped the scythe in shock. "WHAT?!", she exclaimed.

Yang's eyes narrowed. "I said _I guess that's why Ruby crushed on him so hard_ ", she growled menacingly. "Got something to say about it? Because if you do, I suggest you to stuff it back in your mouth, or I'll stuff it up your ass".

The figure was quick to retrieve her scythe and looked at her for the longest time before finally speaking slowly. "I guess it makes sense", she stated, nodding. "But the plan won't change. It's just something else Heartbreak will have to ask her".

"Heartbreak? You mean...". Yang took a deep calming breath. "It's another Wraith, isn't it? The one Ruby will have to face. And it's gonna ask Ruby about her crush on Jaune, and probably make her feel bad about everything, will it? Because that's all you can bring. Misery".

"This does not matter. Continue, Yang Xiao Long, and finish your atonement", the Wraith urged her on as if nothing had happened, even if her stance said she was nervous and shocked.

Yang needed a few more deep intakes of breaths before being calm enough to continue, and then a few more seconds to recall where she left off. "I'll admit I also didn't consider him really attractive because he was terrible at smooth-talking and didn't really have a muscled build. Call me materialist, but I'm not really interested in guys who haven't got at least a little muscle mass". She shrugged almost apologetically. "When my little sister started to crush on him I worried he might've taken advantage of her, but then I realized he was too oblivious to her feelings to get engaged with her".

Wrath tilted her head sideways. "And now, what do you think about him?".

She sighed and shrugged, her fists lowering unconsciously. "What do I think? I think he was kind and helpful. I think he was one of the friendliest people I've ever met, and the most respectful. He always treated everyone fairly and equally", she said. "Now, knowing many more things about him... I might even approve of him with Ruby. He's exactly the kind of person I would trust my little sister to... if Ruby has to entwine her life with someone, I'd like that someone to be a good person like Jaune".

Wrath nodded in silence before sighing as well and lowering Ira. "You speak the truth, Yang Xiao Long. But where were those thoughts when he was still with you?".

Yang looked away in shame. "I guess hindsight's 20/20, isn't it?", she laughed meekly. "I didn't think about it because there weren't scary Wraiths to force me to think about it, and thus I never bothered to think. I was always focused on fights and studies and having fun... so much I never really focused on the people. I got to know my teammates, but who else? I think I've gotten to know Nora, Ren and Pyrrha more in those days than in the previous weeks... And now that I think of it, Jaune was a good person. Not perfect, not even near perfection, but a good person. And someone who would've become a good Huntsman, as opposite as many other students who are still in Beacon. All in all, I think the best way to express what I think of him would be... I approve of him with Ruby. Heck, I might even not get _too_ angry if they had sex before eighteen. I surely did. Yes, I approve of him with Ruby, and that's everything I can say".

Wrath nodded and turned to walk away without looking back. "You have atoned. But keep in mind that there we won't always be there to force to focus on people", she advised as she disappeared. "You need to do it yourself".

Yang looked away in shame as she realized that maybe, just maybe, Jaune would've still been with them, had she gotten to know him a bit more earlier.


	20. Lightning

**_Hey everyone! Just a little note: the user Sm0keyPanda pointed out a typo I've been writing without knowing. I wrote `twenty twentieths` instead of `twenty-twenty`. This is due to the fact I've seen only used as 20/20. Since I don't like to use numbers in the story text if it's not necessary, I tried to simply write the fraction. Turns out it's not a fraction... ;)_**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

Nora had never liked silence.

All she remembered of when she was orphaned was the silence. After the Knucklelavee and an army of Grimm destroyed Kuroyuri, there had been the silence of the deads and the mourning. She and Ren had been the only ones to speak for days after the disaster, alone and terrified, but determined to live and to make it to the next city, be it Mistral or Shion. She smiled at the thought of Ren. When she had first seen him, while she was surrounded by older bullies, he had tried to flee, scared. But then, when the Grimm were hunting in the city, Ren was the brave young boy who went for her into a town full of Grimm. Nora was sure it had been that day it had happened.

Ren had stolen her heart and never given it back.

She shook her smile off her face. After separating from Weiss, and then Yang, Nora was surrounded in silence, and this time Ren wouldn't be there to save her, because he would be fighting his own battle. She only hoped he would be alright. She hoped they all would be alright. Nora wasn't stupid and she knew that, had the Wraith made this a trap, none of them would've exited the house alive. Given just how many of them had been mentioned by Logic, Heart, Jaune's diary and Destiny, they would be outnumbered and beaten. Maybe Pyrrha would've been able to alert Ozpin and Torchwick, but after all, what can strength do against Death?

Nora wasn't stupid, and since she had come to the same conclusion as Ruby earlier, that the Wraiths didn't want to kill them just yet, she knew this wasn't gonna be a trap. But she still feared what might come from her meeting with Madness. If they needed to defeat the Wraith they had been assigned to in a fight, Nora wasn't so confident in her skill. She was strong and skilled, that much she knew, but against something that was immaterial, just how much can a hammer do? The answer eluded her, and even as she slowly followed the crimson trail that would lead her to Madness, she couldn't help but wonder.

Wonder if, deep down, it had been her fault Jaune was gone. She knew that the misunderstanding under all of that was everyone's fault, even Jaune's, but deep down, she wondered if she could've done something. Stupid question, she _knew_ she could've done something. If only she had spoken to him after Goodwitch had expelled him, instead of looking at her feet in shame. Nora Valkyrie was never short of words, but then why hadn't she said some of those words to Jaune when he needed them?

Even worse, Nora Valkyrie hated bullism. She and Ren had been bullied many times during their childhood, at least until Nora learned how to break someone's legs. And yet she had done nothing when Jaune had been the one being bullied. And after she read his diary, she felt even worse. How could she, another victim of bullism, being so blind to the signs? Jaune was right, he was rarely bullied in front of them, but even so, if the professors never intervened, then why hadn't she? It wouldn't have taken much. A few dozens broken legs aside, she could've at least helped him train. In his diary, he wrote he could already beat a few of his bullies, but the fact was that if he dared beat one, the next time ten of them would beat him ten times harder. At the start of the year, he had been put in the place of last and no one would ever accept of him improving. For everyone, he would forever remain the weakling to be bullied.

Nora hated how unfair it was, but she wasn't naive enough to think the world was fair. It hadn't been fair for Kuroyuri to be wiped out, yet it had happened. No, what really bothered her was the fact _someone_ could've done something about it. She was sure that, if Team RWBY and Team NPR had decided to train Jaune privately, his combat skills would've gone through the roof. Of the last floor.

"Lost in thought?", chuckled a voice from behind her, making her spin around with Maghnild ready in hammer mode. The Wraith, Madness, merely continued to chuckle weakly. "I guess so, Nora Valkyrie. Finally, it's time for you to atone. I was getting bored, you know? But I guess you'd know: you get bored easily, don't you?".

Nora's grip on the hammer was so tight it could've cracked stones, broken legs and choked rivers. "Wraith", she greeted coldly. "Or should I say Madness?".

"Either is fine, really, you shouldn't have bothered to ask". The figure gestured her to sit on one of the chairs, but she didn't, too alert to sit down. "So, should we start, or do you want to try and flatten me first?".

"I know it would just damage Jaune's old home", retorted Nora. "So the answer is no, Ms Immaterial Wraith".

"Your loss. I was offering you a calming strike, but if you refuse I won't hold it against you". Madness took a seat, her weapon nowhere to be seen. _'She's crazy to come near me without a weapon'_ , thought Nora. _'But yet again, she is Madness'_. "Tell me, Nora Valkyrie, what is the most useful human skill in the world?".

Nora blinked. "What?".

"I asked you which ability in the vast range of human skills is the most useful in your opinion", repeated the Wraith, amused by her reaction. "Is it strength? Is it training? Is it intelligence? Is it subtlety? Which one is the most useful?".

"You know something?", asked Nora, frowning. "Your name might be Madness, but you don't _sound_ mad".

The Wraith clicked her tongue in irritation. "Death has several grades of control over us", she replied with a shrug. "From completely free of restraints to controlled down to the last letter. My personality might influence Death's control, but if _she_ wants me to act like this, there is nothing I can do to stop her. Even right now, she is in partial control. And that is the only reason I'm sitting here to talk instead of fighting and laughing and taunting you". Underneath her mask, her eyes narrowed. "But you still haven't answered my question, Nora Valkyrie. Which is the most useful skill?".

Even though she hated silence, Nora needed a few seconds before being able to reply. "Generosity", she stated with confidence. "If everyone were more generous, there wouldn't be poverty nor unhappiness, no one would ever feel the need to steal, no one would ever be jealous of anyone else. Even the Grimm would attack less, feeling less negative emotions to prey on".

"Then your answer isn't generosity... it's sharing", corrected Madness. "If everyone shared everything, then no one would ever be unhappy. Generosity and sharing are two different things. Sharing everything. Belongings, money, love, children and everything else. No one would ever have less than his neighbour".

Nora frowned but shrugged. "Then sharing it is", she accepted the correction with ease.

"But what would happen then? If no one needed to work because they would just be given everything they want or need, who would end up working for everyone?", asked Madness, making her frown further. "There would be people ready to work for nothing, sure, but most people would simply sit back and enjoy doing nothing all their life".

"If everyone were so used to sharing, then no one would feel the need to slack off", countered Nora. "Yes, maybe a few would still do it, but there would be more than enough people to work for everyone".

"Let's make another example, then. Love. Take a happy couple living together", continued the Wraith. "But their neighbour is jealous because he loved that woman too. But she doesn't love him, she loves her husband, so what would happen? Should she be shared as well because so the world goes? Because everything must be shared?".

"No!", exclaimed Nora, horrified. "People are not things! They can't be _shared!_ ".

"And so that neighbour becomes angrier and angrier, and jealous, because that man has something, or someone, he doesn't. So jealous that one night, he takes a knife, slits the man's throat and kidnaps the woman", concluded Madness. "How wonderful, don't you think? Sharing is truly the right answer... isn't it?".

Nora clenched her fists before sighing. She hadn't thought of that. "I guess not", she finally admitted before falling silent again, thinking hard. "Love?", she said slowly. "If everyone loved everyone else, would it work? Would it make the world a better place?".

"Maybe", nodded the Wraith. "That's a pleasant dream, but an impossible one at that. Humankind will never learn to love itself, much less its brothers and sisters. Just look at the racism against Faunus. What is different between a human and a Faunus? A bunch of chromosomes in their DNA and maybe horns, tails, wings or some minor extra features. And they are treated like animals". Madness laughed hollowly. "It's kinda as if blonds discriminated brunettes just because of their hair colour. My question was _in the range of human skills_. Universal, unbiased, equal-for-all love isn't something humans are capable of as of now".

Nora was on the verge of countering her claim, but she accepted defeat when she realized that no one she knew, especially herself, had that kind of love. She would never love people like Cardin, like Vero, or any of the other bullies. She just couldn't. They were evil, they were bad people, people who abused and picked on the weaker only to grovel at the feet of the stronger. It was their fault Jaune was trapped by Death, and she would never forgive them for it. She couldn't even imagine how much they had bullied Jaune, but if his diary was anything to go by, a lot. She would break their legs one by one, and as sure as Dust she would do everything in her power to get them all expelled. Destiny had been right: Beacon was training the next generation of heroes as well as the next generation of villains. They created both sides and then watched them fight, training even more of heroes and villains to join the fray.

"So I guess peace and justice are out for the same reason", she replied bitterly. "Is power what you want me to say? In this world, if you have power, you win every battle? Is power the most useful skill a person can have?".

"While power is indeed useful in this world, so is intelligence and influence. So is comradeship and friendship", Madness countered off-handedly. "You want to know the _true_ answer? You want to know the most useful single skill a person can have? And what would you do with this information?".

Nora shrugged. "I guess it depends on the answer", she replied honestly. "If it's something close at hand and that would help my friends, then I guess I'd do it. If it aids me becoming a Huntress, even better".

Madness laughed. "Really? Then let me make you an offer. But first, you must atone". The Wraith sobered up quickly and looked at her. "Nora Valkyrie, what do you think of Jaune Arc? Who was he? Who is he for you? What is he?".

"Is this my atonement? I have to say what I think of Jaune?", asked Nora. She received no answer. "He was brave. He kinda reminds me of Ren when he saved me when we were kids. He knew the risks of applying for Beacon without Aura nor training. He was kind to everyone, even if he didn't know them. He never gave anyone a reason to hate him... apart from his flirting with Weiss, and even then I don't know, now that I know his past, just how serious he was".

Madness nodded slowly. "Go on", she urged her on.

"He was also very serene and friendly, and he put up with me even when many others wouldn't. In a way, he was similar to Ren. But he wasn't as calm and focused as Ren. Jaune was intelligent, I have to give him that, but outside the battlefield he rarely showed it. His plans were good, but during our classes or free time, he always looked like the dumb one. The worst in everything. A clumsy, goofy, stupid, weak, untrained, unskilled, untalented, not studious, silly idiot to many", she continued ashamedly. "Many never looked beyond that, and most of the time neither did we. We rarely got to openly see what he really was. He was a kind, brave, selfless, good-hearted shining knight. We would've just needed to look deeper than the surface... who knows, maybe we would've even been able to avoid all of this".

"Maybe", conceded Madness with an even voice, something really strange given her name. "Now I can make you my offer. It would help you and your friends to become better Huntsmen and Huntresses, and save countless more lives after you graduate. Do you want to listen to it?".

"I don't really trust you Wraiths", retorted Nora. "But I guess it can't hurt to listen, right?".

"Forget Jaune Arc", said Madness, raising a hand to stop her from protesting. "Think about it. You would have me and my siblings as your personal bodyguards. You just need to leave him behind and move on. We would fight by your side in a way Jaune Arc has never been able to do. With our abilities you would be able to save many more lives, and that is without counting how many times we could save _you_. Is it worth it? Jaune Arc's life for innumerable lives saved. Sounds fair to me".

Nora was conflicted. A great part of her just screamed _NO!_ , but a smaller part of her was wondering if it was really worth it. Jaune, as good as a friend he was, was still just one person. Would it be fair to sacrifice him to save maybe thousands of other people? She knew for a fact Jaune would've wanted her to accept the offer. Or would he not? After all, he had been grown by an assassin for five years and then by a criminal mastermind for another five. Maybe he wasn't a knight, after all? What was he then? Yang would've said a ninja, but Nora wasn't Yang.

Also, how would her friends take her choice? She knew that people had to sacrifice many things to save other people, but would her friends accept to sacrifice Jaune to gain the services of the Wraiths? Also, what did that mean? Did Jaune have their services and were they trying to get rid of him, or were they independent entities tied to Jaune just by some kind of contract? Would they still haunt them if she accepted the offer?

Finally, she shook her head. "No", she said. "While it might do some good, I'm sure there is another way. Also, I don't trust you. And my friends would never forgive me for this".

Madness nodded and stood up. "Then your atonement is over, Nora Valkyrie", she stated before laughing loudly. "You can go, little thunder. Your answer was the right one". Without a further word, the Wraith turned and walked away, through a wall, disappearing from Nora's sight.

She finally released a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

 ** _Next will be the chapter Spear, starring Pyrrha and Destiny!_**

 ** _Also, there will be a detail I've been dying to point out since the chapter `The New and the Broken`. Let's see if someone saw this coming._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	21. Spear

**_Finally, I can post the chapter I've been waiting for a few days to post, where I explain two flaws in Pyrrha's character._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

Pyrrha separated from Blake and Ren with slight apprehension, but she hadn't been four consecutive times Mistralian Regional Champion for nothing. She knew how to handle stress better than most other people, even some Huntsmen. It would really take something of the size of a legend coming true to shake her to the core. Or someone telling her how the moon had been broken. Fight after fight, round after round, tournament after tournament, she had learned how to handle her worry and stress and erase it from her mind. When she fought, everything that wasn't helpful for the fight was removed from her mind. Some might've said she had a one-track mind, but the truth was that she was simply focused on the battle. She could change her approach, study her enemy, even banter and taunt if she was forced to, but only as long as it gave her an advantage during the fight.

That being said, as she walked in the darkness, following a line of scarlet blood up and down the stairs of the old Arc household, she was nervous.

She knew that, had this been a trap, she was probably going to fall into it straight away. She was a skilled fighter and she planned how to lead her fights, but there was a reason Jaune had been made the leader instead of her. During the initiation, his plan to beat the Deathstalker wasn't a most complex one. And when he caught her attention he hadn't even needed to tell her what to do. She had evaluated her surroundings and reacted appropriately. But she also knew that she wouldn't have had Nora hammer the stinger like a giant nail, because she was so used to fight alone, she never considered her teammates' presences until it strictly helped her with her fight. Jaune had instead kept an eye on each of them and come up with a plan that involved both Pyrrha and Nora, even if the loosening of the stinger was thanks to Ren. He had weaved a strategy using all his teammates as wires and they had beaten an otherwise difficult opponent with next to no wounds, apart from Ren.

She had never been really good against traps and ambushes. In tournaments, there were no hidden enemies nor traps apart from the ones enacted after the start of the fight. All she needed to do was to keep an eye on every opponent to avoid them sneaking upon her from behind, and she would've been fine. But now, walking in the dark corridors of the huge mansion, she felt she could be forgiven if she was nervous. She didn't have Blake's night vision, so she couldn't know if a shadow was a shadow, or a hidden Wraith. She didn't know what to expect and that unnerved her. She had always been used to fight openly, even if she did use her Semblance subtly as to keep it a secret edge on her opponents, but the Wraiths weren't open. They fought in shadows, they were immaterial and they were vicious. Cardin would need a few days in the infirmary before he could walk again, and the doctors weren't sure if the Winchester lineage would be able to continue. It was true that Team CRDL had probably underestimated Destiny, and that they were the school's worst students, but that didn't change the fact that Destiny had beaten all of them without being hit even once. He wasn't even breathing unevenly when he stopped. And that music... something told her the whole fight had just been one more message, one different from the others.

 _Do not mess with us_ , Destiny had said without speaking.

And Pyrrha had no intention to mess with them unless she had absolutely no other choice. She would be going up against Destiny, the very Wraith everyone had seen absolutely _crushing_ Team CRDL. Pyrrha had seen Wrath briefly fight with Saber, but even then it was just a glimpse, not a full-scale fight. She almost felt sorry for CRDL when they lost so thoroughly... almost. If anything, she had learned that Destiny was a good fighter. He exploited CRDL's weaknesses, taking advantage of their lack of teamwork and even going as far as letting three of them strike their own teammates. She wasn't even sure if he was really trying or if he just wanted a fight matching the song's strophes. Cardin's castration was just an addition outside of the fight, or maybe a closing action. She still didn't know Destiny's true potential, and even if she wasn't going to underestimate her, she desperately yearned to know more about the Wraiths, even if just to fight them better and defeat them in battle.

 _Danger on your right_.

As soon as her Aura sense activated and warned her, she threw herself forwards, rolling on the floor and coming up with her weapons ready and in a fighting stance. With such an action, she would've been able to avoid any kind of attack, because she had simply removed herself from the targeted area entirely.

She barely had time to register the arrival of the Wraith before she had to dodge another swipe of the scythe that cut a table in two, thus informing her he wasn't currently immaterial. Taking advantage of that knowledge, she counterattacked swiftly, trying to score a hit before he could react, but to her mild surprise he managed to step back and intercept her weapon with his own.

So she tried to bash him with her shield, attempting to make him stumble and force him on the defensive. In all her fights, she had been the one to dominate the battle, and her opponent had always been on the defensive. Only when she had to fight against more than an opponent she allowed herself to preserve energies and fight defensively. Given her skill level, she was fairly sure she could press the Wraith into defending himself and then she would have the time to spot an opening and exploit it, scoring a hit on him. After the first, the others would be easy.

Unfortunately, Destiny had other ideas. Before she could close the distance for a shield bash, he disconnected their blades and spun, trying to sweep her off her feet like he had done with CRDL. Of course she jumped over the blade and tried to slash at him while he was busy, but what she hadn't predicted was him stopping his weapon in mid-slash and bringing the shaft up to block her blade, forcing her to land somewhat -relatively- awkwardly before swinging his weapon again, this time actually forcing her to step back. The third attack was met with Akuóu, the impact clanging loudly and echoing in the empty room. Pyrrha narrowed her eyes at the sound. _'Metal'_ , she realized with a wicked smirk.

She swung at him with her sword, only to be blocked again, and for a second clang to echo between the walls. The confirmation she needed. She shield bashed him in the chest, making him stumble back, and charged again, only to be sidestepped swiftly as he pirouetted out of the way in an almost comical fashion, hadn't it been so efficient. Gritting her teeth as she waited for an opening, she was forced back to defence as he resumed his onslaught, every strike too precise and calculated to just dodge narrowly. She would either need to use her shield or to step back, and in both cases it would be a victory for him, since he had a greater reach. Either she distanced herself, offering him even more space to fight, or block with her shield, and thus putting her own shield between her and her opponent, preventing her from attacking. Or...

Finally, she saw the opportunity she needed to score a hit. As he twirled his scythe around, aiming to behead her with a powerful swing, didn't step back nor she blocked with her shield. Instead, she focused on the blade of Fatus, a familiar black glow covering her shield hand as she concentrated. There... She used her Polarity. She had the advantage she needed.

Or so she thought.

The scythe continued its path and crashed into her neck, taking out a good chunk of her Aura and sending her sprawled to the floor for the force of the impact. Of course she rolled and stood up in record time, but the damage had been done. She didn't have enough space to use Miló as a rifle, and she had just taken a hit. The first hit of the fight went to Destiny. Despite the strike, however, she was ready to continue the fight until the end.

The Wraith, however, wasn't.

"That's enough", he said, relaxing his stance into a more comfortable one. "Your atonement starts now, Pyrrha Nikos. I hope you are ready, because you will leave only when I decide so".

Pyrrha tightened her grip on her weapon. She was still ready to fight.

"I suggest you to relax and take a seat... if you can find a chair that isn't falling to pieces, that is". Destiny walked up to a wall and leaned on it. "You don't need to fight any more. We are moving to the next part of your atonement now".

"How?".

"Pardon me?", replied the Wraith with an amused voice. "How can I say you don't need to fight? Because I don't want to fight any more. How can I say we're moving to the next part of your atonement? Because I decide when you're ready".

"How did it not work?", specified Pyrrha, not relaxing her stance, sword still pointed to his throat. "I used my Semblance on your blade before you hit me, but it simply did nothing. I tried to move it away so to strike back when you were off-guard, but it didn't even tremble".

Destiny laughed. Long and loud. "Oh my, you'd think the four times Mistralian Champion would've known her Semblance better than this", he chuckled, somewhat subdued but still amused. "Tell me, Pyrrha Nikos, which is your Semblance? And what does it do?".

"It's Polarity", frowned the girl. "With it, I can control metals".

"Wrong", stated Destiny, pushing himself off the wall and starting to pace. "A good Huntress should know her Semblance better than she knows her name. You disappoint me, Pyrrha Nikos. Your Semblance is Polarity. Do you know what does that mean?".

"I can control magnetism", replied Pyrrha, still puzzled.

"Exactly. You don't control _metal_ ", specified the Wraith. "You can move, create, modify and negate fields of magnetism. You can straight out control _magnetism_. So tell me, why can you move metals?".

"Because metal is magnetic", answered Pyrrha. She knew that fairly well. After all, there were more than one reason for why her opponents never hit her. One was her skill. The other was her Semblance and the fact most opponents used metallic weapons. Even Yang, whose combat style was basically unarmed, couldn't hit her, since she wore metal gauntlets. "By manipulating the magnetic fields around the metal I can pull or push it in the direction I want. With practice, I sharpened my abilities until I could move metal as if using telekinesis".

"Then why couldn't you move Fatus?", said Destiny. "You heard the sounds it makes when it collides with something metallic. It's made of metal. So why can't you move it around at will?".

Pyrrha almost slumped. "I don't know", she admitted.

"Fatus is made of an alloy of Light Dust, Darkness Dust and electrum. Do you know what electrum is? It's an alloy of gold and silver. Logic was the one to sketch the upgrades, and Logic is... exceptional at doing his job", continued the Wraith. "But you know which is one of the characteristics of the electrum?". He waited for her to shook her head before dropping the bombshell. "It's not magnetic".

"What?!", exclaimed the girl, shocked.

"Electrum is not magnetic. Not relevantly so, at least", he continued. "Just like bronze, brass, lead, silver, gold, copper and some kinds of steel. I don't know the full set but I know that not all the metals are magnetic".

Pyrrha stared at him for a few more seconds before her battle instincts kicked in, storing the shocking information in the back of her mind for later and forcing her to focus back on reality. "So the reason I couldn't move it is that even if I modified the magnetism around it, it simply wasn't influenced?", she said tensely. "So it's not like my Semblance doesn't work... it does, but it still can't move your weapon".

"Exactly. I can see why you are such a skilled fighter, Pyrrha Nikos. You evaluate the situations you find yourself in pretty fast", the Wraith praised her. "I hope you're ready for your atonement though, because even if you're not, it starts now. Tell me, what do you think of Jaune Arc?".

Pyrrha gritted her teeth. "I know you captured him", she said. "Give him back".

"No", retorted Destiny, sounding irritated. " _What_ do you think about Jaune Arc? Answer this question, Pyrrha Nikos, or you will never see your knight again".

Pyrrha blanched. "No!", she exclaimed, looking around as if to try and spot Jaune before glaring at the Wraith. He didn't even flinch. "I know he was a wonderful person. Someone who didn't deserve what you did to him".

"I can assure you he's safe and unharmed... and that is more than I can say of his time at Beacon. We're protecting him from harm... but what did you do when he was getting beaten for _amusement_ by the other students? Oh, wait, let me guess: not giving a damn".

Pyrrha's vision began to fade into red. "You know nothing about him, and nothing about us", she growled. "He didn't want to be helped with Cardin, and we didn't know the bullism was so bad".

"You should have, Pyrrha Nikos. You should've known how bad it was. As I said earlier today, after my `fight` with Team CRDL, Beacon is training monsters alongside heroes. You shouldn't have needed me to tell you this. You should've known it by yourself without _anyone_ telling you anything", he growled back. "But we're not here to discuss about what Beacon does and does not. What do you see in Jaune Arc?".

Pyrrha looked away. "He was very kind, friendly, open and nice", she remembered. "He treated me just like a normal person, while I've been treated like a goddess or something like that for most of my life due to my skills. When I met him, he didn't even know my name".

"Sounds like ignorance to me", commented Destiny. "Yes, he wouldn't have cared, but you noticed him only because he didn't know who you were. Not because he looked past your titles to the girl underneath. So your first meeting was ignorance, not acceptance".

"And yet, when he discovered the extent of my fame, he still treated me equally!", she exclaimed hotly. "Something no one else has done for years!".

"That's because you never let them. You pushed them away as soon as they began talking to you, fearing they would recognize you as _the_ Pyrrha Nikos. You chose your own exile. The world may be full of bad people, but it's also full of good ones. You just needed to try and find the right one. Instead, you waited for Jaune Arc to knock some sense into that head of you, and now you are _miraculously_ friends with seven people. How's that? Because he forced them to look past your titles... _or because you actually tried to make friends?_ ".

Pyrrha blushed in shame and looked away again. But when she looked back at Destiny, the Wraith was already gone.

"Your atonement is over, Pyrrha Nikos. You may go".

 ** _Yes, the electrum is not magnetic. Also, Pyrrha really wasn't trying to make friends._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	22. Lotus

**_And now, Lie Ren, the Lotus! Next will be Ruby Rose, -obviously- the Rose, and then the chapter Deadly Nature (changed right now from Deadly Beauty), where we'll see an appropriate end for the Atonement arc._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

Ren walked slowly, expecting an attack at every step he took in the dark basement. And, in a way, he wasn't wrong. He was right in expecting to be attacked... just not physically. The attack he was subject to was a far subtler one, one that unnerved him either into insanity, or into committing a mistake. It was an attack made of silence, dark turns and rooms, echoing footsteps and dim cellars full of old wine turned into vinegar. It was an attack to his mind, not to his body.

It was the wait.

The trail had ended in the room he was waiting in, and now he was just pacing back and forth, trying to calm himself down. Using his Semblance was straining and used up his Aura, even if slowly, so he didn't want to use it unless it was strictly necessary. And at the moment, it wasn't necessary. He only had to wait for a few more minutes, he was sure of it. The trail was probably long enough to keep him waiting for a while before the Wraiths showed up, but at the same time, there was the time limit. If he had to atone before dusk setted in, then the Wraith would need to face him before the dusk setted in.

He didn't know if he was more worried about facing Logic by himself, or more worried about the others. He was sure Pyrrha and Nora would be fine. They were two strong young women who knew how to fight and how to use their minds. Yang was a bit more likely to get in trouble, given the Wraith she had been paired with, but even then she would be fine. Blake... well, if her life had been as harsh as she let on, then she wouldn't have any problem dealing with the Wraiths. Weiss was strong, both in combat and in willpower. She was the most intelligent of them all, and he could admit it without problems. She was smart, and she knew how to use that smartness to her advantage. Added to that, her Glyphs provided her with an incredible range of skills and possible actions, so even in case the `strict authority` the message spoke of turned out to be hostile... well, _more hostile than the others_... he was sure she would've been able to flee and get the professors.

It still felt weird to call Torchwick a professor, but he'd get used to it.

No, the one he was more worried about was Ruby. She was strong in her own way, but the old house wasn't a place where she could use Crescent Rose with ease. Not without bringing the whole roof down on her head, at least. Her speed was useful, but if she was in the dark like he was, then she wouldn't be able to see, and thus she would restrain from hyperspeeding into a wall. In hand to hand combat she... for lack of a better word, _sucked_. Really, really sucked. A single Beowolf would've been able to defeat her. He was the opposite: he had managed to kill a King Tajitsu after having been disarmed. Ruby wouldn't know where to start. Even her unarmed stance was lacking in stability and versatility. So her only real chance in combat with the Wraith she was going to face was to flee... and that was her last problem.

Ruby was compromised, in military terms. She was too attached to Jaune to simply run if the situation got desperate. If the Wraith decided to fight her, she would be screwed, because her weapon would be useless, her martial arts skills were inexistent and she wouldn't even consider stepping back to avoid being killed. She would fight to the death... and unfortunately, that was the only certain result if she were to really get into trouble. While the others were either enough skilled to fight off the Wraiths, with weapons able to fight indoors, or smart enough to back off in case of danger, Ruby was the exception. She was probably not enough skilled to fight a Wraith... he admitted he doubted even himself could fight one... her weapon was too unwieldy to allow her to fight properly indoors and her stubbornness wouldn't allow her to escape, instead forcing her to stay and get killed. If he had to be honest, Ren thought no one of them would be able to fight the Wraiths. Not because they weren't skilled enough... because the Wraiths were the only ones who knew where Jaune was. And if they decided not to tell them... he doubted they would ever find the knight again. Nor alive... nor dead.

The ninja of Team JNPR was waiting impatiently now, unable to do anything else and not willing to sit down and relax until Logic appeared. He knew his reasoning was wrong, that the Wraiths probably weren't going to fight him, but his survival instinct and his combat instinct continued to tell him to be alert, scan the perimeter and keep his guard up at all times, ready to defy any attempts to attack and, in case he had the chance, counterattack instantly, taking advantage of any possible opening. His instincts were only of the few things that had kept him and Nora alive for all those years by themselves, and even with the help of his Semblance he wouldn't be able to completely forget all he had to go through as a child, and the instincts he had gained during that time. For him, to be alert and on his guard when facing danger was second nature. He couldn't simply _relax_.

"Penny for your thoughts?".

Ren didn't jump, nor he was startled, nor he was surprised. He turned to focus on the black-clad figure that had just stepped out of the wall, his face cut from stone. He wasn't surprised by the arrival of Logic. He had been waiting for the Wraith.

"You took your time", he commented, his voice a bit hoarse. It was the first thing he had said ever since they had entered the house. Probably something like an hour prior. How far now it sounded to him, and yet it was just an hour. Waiting in the dark, helpless and alone, surely stretched time to lengths he had never expected it to reach. A second turned into a minute, a minute into an hour. And an hour turned into days. "I'm ready for whatever you have in store for me, Logic. Bring it on".

The Wraith merely walked up to one of the old barrels of wine and sat down against it, sliding to the floor. He looked so harmless without his weapon, Ren was almost tempted to relax. But he knew that, if the names of the Wraiths told their true nature, then Logic wasn't one to be feared for mere physical prowess. Most probably, he had already set a trap that would kill or cripple Ren if he tried something hostile. So Ren simply glared at him until he decided to speak again.

"Lie Ren, you are a very interesting individual", he said slowly, as if testing the words. "I'll admit, at first I dismissed you. You looked so lazy, so indolent, so laid back... I thought we'd never have trouble with you. But then, you surprised us, showing how you are just more focused than your peers".

"Where is this going?", asked Ren. Normally, he would've waited for him to finish his monologue, but the wait, the danger and his nerves had been consuming his patience too much for him to just wait some more. "I'm here for Jaune, not to hear you talk about me".

"Unfortunately, I fear that's exactly part of what we'll need to do", sighed Logic. "Personally, I would talk with you in a less... gloomy place, but Death is the one who controls, not me, so I fear this will have to be enough".

"You haven't answered my question. Where is this going?", repeated the green-clad boy. "Where is Jaune?".

"Your friend Jaune Arc is not coming back with you, I fear", replied the Wraith. "You're here to atone, not to retrieve him... You will need to take him from Death to achieve that".

"Death hasn't shown up yet", retorted Ren. "When she will, we'll be there to fight her".

"And I'll be sure to be rooting for you", drawled Logic, her voice drowned in sarcasm.

The two of them fell back into a tense silence, their gazes meeting with almost physical sparks going off. Logic didn't seem fazed by the dirt and darkness that surrounded them, but Ren was. It reminded him of too many days passed in the filth, and too many nights without a roof over his head. It reminded him of all the times he and Nora had been on the brink of death, but had survived. He could almost feel the crawling sensation of despair clinging to his skin and piercing into his flesh, trying to arrive to his heart. He blocked it out, focusing on the task at hand. Logic was supposed to make the first move, so he would simply wait until he told him how he was supposed to atone, where and especially if he was supposed to atone. The message said they all needed to atone, but he didn't trust them enough to be that confident.

Finally, the silence was broken.

"I see you're a patient one. You fight the nervousness and the doubt back out of your mind, never breaking eye contact with the source of your uneasiness... you would truly make for a difficult target to trick and trap", commented the Wraith, amusement clear in his voice. "Lie Ren, not many are praised by me. You should be proud of yourself".

"I'll be proud of myself when I'll have gotten Jaune back to us, to his _friends_ , and away from you", he replied stiffly. "And since you seem to know me so well, I guess you'll know I won't give up, and I will defeat you to find him".

"I can believe you when you say you won't give up", agreed the figure. "But not when you have the arrogance to say you will defeat Death. She is too powerful for you. And only if she gives Jaune Arc back to you _willingly_ you will be able to have him back... or she'll never stop haunting him, and you by extension".

"What do you mean by that?", Ren all but growled.

"Think about the messages. `They will fight them/They will beat them/They will kill them/Unless I find the strength defeat Death itself`", quoted Logic. "Do you remember the first time we `showed up`?".

"The murder of the murderer", recalled the boy, nodding his head. "Yes, I do. You appeared and killed Keaa Konis, Jaune's biological father, because he killed all the Arc daughters and the Arc patriarch".

"No one beat Death, back then. They simply found Jaune Arc, and he pushed Death back from where it came from... but not this time". Logic's voice turned ominous. "This time, to find him, you'll need to beat Death first. If you succeed, he'll probably be free from us forever, but don't you think it will be easy... I personally doubt you'll be able to save him. My guess is that you'll give up, and he will stay forever with us. Who knows, maybe he'll become one of us as well. He could be Remembrance, or maybe Memory".

Ren's grip on Storm Flower tightened. "It's not happening", he gritted out between clenched teeth.

Logic looked up to him for a second before nodding. "Yes, it's true. Jaune Arc is stronger than this. It would be impossible to truly turn him into one of us. But we would be able to make him grow into his fate. Who knows, maybe he'll take Destiny's place, one day", he chuckled darkly. "But let's start your atonement. It's simple, really. You just have to answer my question: what do you think of Jaune Arc?".

Ren narrowed his eyes, concentrating on the question to check if there was any hidden trick, but it seemed innocent enough. As innocent as something could get when faced with creepy Wraiths and horrid murders, of course. "He was the brother I never had", he stated with confidence. "Among my friends, he's the only other male among six girls. Without him, I'd probably go insane".

"I feel your pain", grumbled Logic. "I really do".

Ren raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't comment. "He was very kind and generous, and he was understanding more than most people", he continued, furrowing his brows together. "But he was also weak. Really, really weak. Now I know he was untrained, but I'll admit that, when he told us he faked his way into Beacon, I was angry".

Logic tilted his head sideways, likely raising an eyebrow as well.

"Nora and I have lived a rough life, but we still _earned_ our spot in Beacon by being strong enough to pass all the tests and exams", he said, irritated. "He simply faked his transcripts and was lucky Pyrrha helped him out during initiation. Even if I'm sure faking his transcripts hasn't been something simple, he had no combat experience. He risked our lives because he wanted to become a Huntsman. Yes, he was going to learn, but that didn't take anything from the fact he risked our lives just because of his pride".

Logic nodded slowly.

"But even then, I guess he couldn't have known that the applicants would be hurled off a cliff on the first day of school. And given the rate he was learning at, if his diary is anything to go by, I guess he thought to have time to catch up with the others". Ren tightened his fists suddenly, his knuckles going white on the handles of Storm Flower. "I'll be frank: when he told us of his forgery, I wanted to insult him. Or maybe to make him feel bad. But now? Who knows, maybe I just needed time to think about it. Maybe I just needed to see the larger picture. He knew what he was doing. He had planned to train ten times as hard as anyone else to catch up".

"Go on".

"I'll admit I've been blind for not seeing the obvious signs of bullism when I've been bullied quite a few times myself. He was weak and the others were strong, very strong if compared to him. I should've imagine many would've taken advantage of that power and picked on him. It was uncaring and foolish of me to think otherwise", he continued bitterly. "But overall... Jaune was a good friend, and a good person. He had it all: kindness, niceness, courage, a hint of foolishness, generosity and friendliness. He would've made a good Huntsman, had he gotten some training. But unfortunately, he disappeared before he could. Now that I see the larger picture... I guess I should ask him to forgive me for having thought him weak".

Logic looked at him for a few more seconds after he finished his monologue, head still tilted sideways. "Very well, Lie Ren", he said, getting up and walking down the corridor out of the cellar. "You spoke the truth. Your atonement is over: you may go".

And with that, he disappeared in the darkness, leaving Ren alone with his thoughts.

 ** _Hey, I didn't think about this, but I put both flowers at the end._**

 ** _Still, be ready because next will be Ruby and then... surprise guest!_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	23. Rose

**_Second to last chapter of the Atonement arc! Starring: Ruby Rose and Heartbreak!_**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

Ruby followed the trail of almost dried blood in silence, having separated from the others in the first room. She was somewhat worried about the fact no one else had to go alone, but she chased that thought away. Even if Nora, Weiss and Yang, and Pyrrha, Ren and Blake had taken off as two groups, they had probably been scattered later. The house was large enough for them to go all in different rooms, especially if one counted the basement and the roof. She just hoped she wouldn't need to go into the basement.

She hadn't even unfolded Crescent Rose. While the massive scythe was surely useful in combat and against stuck bottle caps, it's deployed mode was more than seven feet long. Surely not something to use inside the old Arc household. Its deployed mode was also the only mode she could use to in close combat, as opposite to Pyrrha, who could switch between spear and sword with relative ease. Blake, Yang, Ren and Weiss all had their weapons designed for both close combat and ranged fire. Nora was the only one who would be in her same situation, but the girl herself was much, much, _much_ stronger than Ruby. She would be able to fight in case she needed to. Ruby, instead, wouldn't.

But that didn't really matter. The Wraiths weren't going to kill her not harm her considerably. It wasn't in their goals to do so. Their reason to be was to lead them to Jaune. To lead _her_ to Jaune. She knew that, if Ozpin had really wanted to, he could've ordered the students to temporarily evacuate and have the school searched thoroughly. He could've found them. But, in a way, she knew Ozpin partially agreed with the Wraiths. He knew his school was training villains alongside heroes. She saw them herself everyday at Beacon.

Team CRDL, a group of stupid and arrogant bullies who thought themselves so high and almighty, and they picked on the ones who wouldn't fight back. They were always all together to avoid their victims to retaliate, because even if they were bullies, they were one of the weakest team in Beacon. Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark... those four were four hypocrites. They picked on the weak, even while they were weak themselves. She knew that if they had tried picking on anyone from Team RWBY or NPR, they would've been in for a world of pain.

Team DRGN, who were basically Team CRDL squared in terms of power, arrogance and malevolence. They weren't weak, that much was obvious, they were on par, if not slightly stronger, than Team ARTR, a team that was on friendly terms with Teams RWBY and JNPR since the start of the year. Team DRGN were a bunch of bullies who had some strength individually, and that all together was able to stand among the average for team strength, even if their teamwork really sucked. Each of them fought on their own. Draak Draíocht, their leader, couldn't even come up with a strategy involving all his teammates, Rogue Wyrm, Wen Gyre and Nathan Garnet.

Team RGGE, a team of only Faunus, completely confirmed the rumours about Faunus being brutes and criminals. They were basically the Faunus counterpart of Team DRGN, hating all humans and everything related to humans. They even despised the teachers, arriving to openly refuse to do any homework and not going to detention. Those actions would've earned them expulsion, but their good grades and combat scores prevented that. Ruby had had bad encounters with each and every one of them. Roger Mill... he spilled her milk on her clothes just for amusement. Grey Major... she had tripped Ruby so to make her look stupid. Gwen Crow... she had openly mocked Ruby for her short stature and lack of the curvaceous figure many girls at Beacon had. Eric Ivan... he had thrown chilly sauce in her eyes in the cafeteria, making her burst into tears and ran to wash off the burning liquid.

Team TTNN... the less she said about them, the best it was for everyone. To that day, she still couldn't fathom how could people be so cruel. They were basically criminals, but the power of Vero's father, and the influence of Niall's mother, basically gifted them with untouchable armour. No one could even dare defy them, because all it would take for Vero to make them pay would be a quick call to his father. He had already gotten expelled all of Saber's former team, Team WASP, due to them trying to stop him from bullying Wither Tannin, their leader, because he had a stupid name... as if Vero Tear, Freya Timber, Niall Wizard and Amy Null weren't stupid names. Ruby hated those four with all her heart. She never wished anyone to die... but she had gotten very near it when it came to then. As she said, she wouldn't try and defend Vero from the Grimm nor the Wraiths. Not after what they did.

And those were just the first years. Destiny had been right: power holds villains more often than it holds heroes. Team RWBY were heroes. Team JNPR were heroes. Team ARTR were heroes. Even Team WASP could've become kind of heroes. Or maybe anti-heroes, or how Ruby put it: `socially inept heroes`. Maybe Team CRDL still held some hopes to change in the future, but teams like Team DRGN, Team RGGE and Team TTNN had simply already crossed the line. Team TTNN, Team DRGN and Team RGGE had gone as far as trying to sexually harass other students, with Vero Tear trying to rape Ruby herself. Just for the excuse of `I wanted to, she should've been honoured to being fucked by me`. He had dared say that in front of Professor Goodwitch... Ruby didn't think she had ever seen the stern professor so angry before. Since Team TTNN was one of the teams who didn't do their homework and never went to detention, she had opted to punish them in a different way: by setting Vero up against battles against an entire team every time. And while many students used large and unwieldy weapons, there were a few who didn't. He still won more than half the time, but he learned a bit of humility when he was eventually paired up with Team JNPR.

He had taken Jaune out immediately, inflicting a large and deep gash on the knight's chest and side of the neck -almost `accidentally` killing him-, and then broken Nora's kneecaps and right elbow by attacking her with Aura-infused kicks. He had then learned never to mess with Nora when Ren was still alive, because the boy didn't need Aura to be fast and attack. Storm Flower had struck home a few times before Vero had used his weapon in whip mode, curling it around Ren's legs and lacerating his flesh right down to the artery. Ren had quickly passed out from blood loss, but fortunately Goodwitch had used her Semblance and escorted the boy to the nearby infirmary. Pyrrha, left the only one standing of Team JNPR, had resisted for a long time before charging in with her shield, bashing Vero in the head and making him stumble. And when he got up again, he was met with _two_ slashes from two different swords.

Goodwitch, having noted how Jaune's Aura was still well in the green even after having healed the grave wound, had simply allowed him to return on the arena to continue fighting. Vero had tried taking him out again, not really caring about Jaune's health. The second time, the asshole had tried to go for his neck, a simply lethal spot. He had tried to murder him to win a spar. There were no other words for it. Just like there were no other words to describe Pyrrha's reaction if not murderous rage. After Nora had re-entered the fight as well, she had already managed to bring Vero's Aura down in the yellow, and all it took was a single blow from Maghnild, the heavy hammer being wielded awkwardly but strongly by both Jaune and Nora. Vero's Auraless body had then smashed into a wall, and only Goodwitch's complete autocontrol had stopped her from letting Team RWBY and Team JNPR rip the boy to shreds. From that day on, Ruby was sure Vero had doubled his bullism on Jaune.

If only she had known.

No, not that. She _had_ known. She just hadn't wanted to acknowledge it. It was clear that all those students were bullies, it was clear Jaune was the weakest student of Beacon and it was clear bullies prey on the weak. She just hadn't wanted to connect the dots. Her life before this... _Trail of Blood_... had started had been pretty tranquil, peaceful and light-hearted. She hadn't wanted to ruin the peace to see that her best friend, her crush, was suffering in silence. She wasn't pissed about the fact he didn't tell them: she knew how shame worked and he hadn't wanted to feel even worse by making them worry and admit he couldn't take care of himself, needing his friends to protect him. But the problem was exactly that.

Everyone needed their friends to protect them.

No, she was more pissed with herself for having ignored the obvious signs. Not like anyone had picked up on it, but Jaune had never said `I'm going to the library`, or `I'm heading to the gym`, when no one would've gone with him. Because, like he had written in his diary, those places were the perfect places for bullies where to pick on him. She had had the chance to stop all this from happening, and she had missed it only because she hadn't paid attention to what happened to Jaune.

"And finally, the last one, the Rose".

She gave a startled cry, turning around so fast her hair whipped her face hard, automatically deploying Crescent Rose. In front of her stood a tall figure dressed in torn black clothes and wearing a cracked bloody mask that hid his features, even his eyes. His scythe was nowhere to be seen, and from his posture, he seemed more resigned and sad than hostile or aggressive.

A broken heart. A Wraith. Heartbreak.

"You are the Wraith I have to face to atone, aren't you?", she asked. "`A rose will wilt before a broken heart`. That's what the message said. So, are you gonna fight, or can I have Jaune back immediately?".

"My name is Heartbreak. I only wanted to talk with you about Jaune Arc", he said slowly, not moving from his position. "Your atonement must be over before dusk, but I'm sure you won't take all that time".

Idly, Ruby noticed how she had previously exited the house and penetrated into the wild courtyard. They were standing on the opposite side as the main door, sign she had walked through the whole mansion and had exited it on the other side. The farthest from Ozpin and Torchwick. The least safe.

"What do you want to talk about of Jaune?", she inquired warily. "I suggest we talk about where you keep him. And I also suggest you to give him back to me _now_ ".

"This is not what I'm here for, Ruby Rose", said the Wraith, his voice still slow and sad. "Tell me, when you think of Jaune Arc, what do you think of?".

Ruby frowned. "He was a good friend", she said. "He was nice, and kind, and funny, and friendly, and helpful, and selfless, and he never treated me like a child. He was my first friend at Beacon".

"I see you haven't mentioned the love you felt for him", commented Heartbreak. "Has it faded away sometime during these days of horror? Or maybe it disappeared after you discovered he had forged his transcripts. Is it true?".

"No! I loved him and I still love him!", countered Ruby, now angry and defensive. "I think I started developing a crush on him when he helped me up the first day, and after then it simply continued to grow and grow and grow! He was just so nice, so kind, so good-hearted... I knew I could talk about everything with him. We shared dreams, passions and ideas. We would talk every day, even if just when we were going to or returning from classes for leaders only. Our teams were basically one not because of the closeness of their members, but because of the closeness of their leaders!".

Heartbreak nodded slowly. "So why haven't you helped him out when he was in trouble at Beacon?", he asked. "And if you really loved him so much, then why haven't you at least said goodbye after Goodwitch expelled him? You didn't, though. No one of you did. Why?".

Ruby looked away, her eyes starting to mist over. "Because I was a coward", she said. "I was too ashamed of myself, and too afraid, to stand up for him. Because I knew it wouldn't have changed the fact he would've been expelled and I couldn't bear to look at him as he was expelled. I would've talked to him later, but he simply disappeared...".

"The first question still stands, though", noted the Wraith. "Why haven't you helped him when he was in trouble at Beacon? Was it still out of shame? Or out of cowardice?".

Ruby shook her head, tears pooling in her eyes. "No!", she denied fiercely. "It was ignorance and stupidity on my part. I didn't know he was being bullied, and I never thought of connecting the dots. Bullies plus weaker student plus boredom equals the weaker student getting bullied mercilessly out of amusement". She clenched her hands around the shaft of Crescent Rose. "I could've prevented this, but I didn't! I was too blind to realize what he was going through and when I finally did, he was already gone, captured and trapped by some kind of murdering shadows of Death! And it's all my fault!".

Finally, all the tears she had been pushing back since Jaune had disappeared broke through and began claiming their tool on her. Crescent Rose fell to the ground as she brought her hands to cover her crying face, silver eyes shut tightly to try and stop the tears, but they just kept coming. She didn't even hear Heartbreak telling her her atonement was over, and she didn't even realize he walked away, too lost in her own sorrow to care.

She wept for all the times he had smiled to her, and she hadn't been able to smile back. She wept for all the times he had been there for her, and she hadn't been able to help him in return. She wept for all the times he had smiled at her, and she hadn't been able to see past his bluff to realize how much he was suffering. She wept for all the times she could've confessed her feelings, but she hadn't, and now he was gone. She wept for being part of the reason he was now trapped by Death. She wept for not being strong enough to find him and free him. She wept for all the times she hadn't stood up for him against the bullies, thinking he would do it himself. She wept for all the times Jaune had simply been Jaune, and she had never been able to truly appreciate him until he was no more by her side.

When she finally stopped crying, her face was a mess. She heard footsteps approaching quickly, but she didn't care. It was probably Yang, enraged by the fact someone had made her little sister cry, coming to check on her. At the moment, all she wanted to do was to return to Beacon and sleep, and hope that all those days had just been a terrible nightmare. She was torn from her thoughts as a hand grabbed her hair and forced her to look up. "Hello, little loli".

Vero Tear grinned down at her.

 ** _Ops..._**

 ** _Yes, Vero is back again. And what's better than concluding our Atonement arc with some horror?_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	24. Deadly Nature

**_And finally, the last chapter of the Atonement arc. Whew, it lasted ten chapters. Not too long, and with short chapters, but I like it._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

Weiss, Blake, Yang, Nora, Pyrrha and Ren were pacing in the small atrium, waiting for Ruby to come back. First had arrived Weiss, followed by Yang and Nora, then by Blake and finally Pyrrha and Ren. No one of them had dared search the house for the little crimsonette, not wanting to anger the Wraiths by interrupting her own atonement. Especially because they had shared their experiences with the others, and had come to the decision Ruby would be fine even without them, since all their atonements had been only talking, or a tiny bit of fighting in Pyrrha's case.

Yang was the one to break the silence.

"Do you think she'll be okay?", she asked to everyone and no one in particular. "It's my fault if the Wraiths know about her crush on Jaune... what if they make her feel bad about it? Oh Oum, I would never be able to forgive myself if anything happened to her...".

"Yang, stay calm", said Pyrrha, trying to stop her from pacing nervously. "Nothing happened to us. Yes, I fought a little, but I suspect Destiny only wanted to show me my weaknesses. As soon as he hit me, he stopped fighting. He stopped being hostile altogether. And... he made me think. That's the worst that could happen: Heartbreak could make her think".

"That's what I'm worried about!", the blonde exclaimed in frustration. "Ruby has never been good with feelings. Jaune's her first crush. She thinks the _world_ of him. If that Wraiths makes her feel bad about it, it will completely _break_ Ruby down to her core!".

"Yang, calm down, please, or I'll have to ask Ren to use his Semblance on you", Pyrrha continued, gripping her shoulders tightly. "You are not the only one who's worried about Ruby. We all are. So please, let's wait for her to return. Let's not bandage our wounds before having received them. Worrying now is useless: we can't change what will happen. We just have to wait and hope everything will be alright".

"And what if things aren't gonna be alright?! And what if Ruby is treated differently for some reason and gets hurt!?", Yang continued to despair without heeding Pyrrha's words. "What if Heartbreak really breaks her heart and leaves her to live with the false belief it's all her fault?! What if what happens forever changes Ruby into something darker?! I would never forgive myself if Ruby lost her... her... _herself_ because I let her go alone!".

"Ren". The boy nodded and placed a comforting hand on Yang's shoulder, his Semblance fighting to put down Yang's emotions. The girl's expression froze as her anger, her frustration, her fears and her despair were erased from her self, replaced by a frozen sea of emotionless focus. Ren's Semblance didn't feel alive nor pleasant, but she guessed that it could only be natural. Only dead things had no emotions, and now she was in the closest state to those things. Ren erased all her emotions. Not like she had _calmed_. She remembered everything that had caused her to worry and despair, but now she couldn't _feel_ anything when she thought of those things. She could think of Ruby's death and still feel nothing.

It would've been terrifying... if she had been able to feel terror.

She looked at Ren, who nodded in understanding. "My Semblance is not a pleasant one, and that is why I try to restrain myself from using it too much", he said, his voice serious and firm. "It makes you feel dead inside, but it also allows you to think properly, not burdened by uncontrolled emotions. I am used to its feeling, as is Nora, but for you this is the first time you are subject to it, and it makes sense for you to dislike it".

As soon as Ren removed his hand, and his Semblance faded away, Yang took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll calm down. If only to avoid Ren to use his Semblance on me again", she said, nodding. "I'm calm. Ruby will be fine and Jaune will be back. I was just worried about nothing".

"AAAHHH!".

Or not.

/-/

Ruby tried to struggle free from Vero's grip, but the stronger student simply pinned her down to the ground to avoid her to move.

He hadn't changed at all. Ozpin had thought the traumatic experience would've changed him, but the doctors had said he didn't remember what had happened in the basement. Apparently, his last memory was following Ruby down the stairs, and then nothing. Deprived of his memories of the Wraiths, he had simply returned to his old self in a heartbeat. And now Ruby was at his mercy.

As his left hand kept her still, his right one lowered to grope her rear, earning a distressed whine from the girl. In her mouth Vero had stuffed some cloth from her skirt, preventing to scream a second time. The boy was using his Semblance to keep her from using her Aura, and even if now it negated his as well, he was physically stronger than she was by miles.

"Feisty, uh?", he commented, his right hand moving up again, on her breast. "Some guys like it rough on both parts, but I'm more of a dominant kind of guy. You're fine with that, aren't you, loli?".

She tried to kick him, but her attacks had no visible effect, even if he did stiffen a little when her boots connected to his side. Without missing a beat, he raised his right hand and slapped her hard across the face, hard enough to make her turn her head sideways. She gritted her teeth as she felt the burning ache spreading across her cheek, the hit area already starting to redden.

Always without letting her go, Vero sat back on his knees, admiring her petite body with hungry eyes before his hand dropped lower, pushing her skirt up to reveal her stocking-clad legs and her underwear, a pair of black shorts Yang had bought her on their last shopping trip. His hand found the waistband of her shorts and pulled down, much to her dismay as she let out another desperate whimper, closing her eyes.

Then there was a scream and suddenly her shorts were wet.

When she opened her eyes, she took in the horrifying and relieving scene in front of her. Vero Tear was still sitting on her legs, but now his attention was completely elsewhere. A tall figure clad in bloody black clothes towered over the both of them, a dark serrated scythe in her hands, looking down at Vero. Her shorts had been pulled down to her knees, but the boy wouldn't be able to `enjoy the view` as he intended to, since he was too busy screaming, holding his right hand.

Or rather, what once was his left hand.

The wrist now ended with a stump that was spurting out a small fountain of blood, and that was the warm liquid that had hit her and her shorts. The severed hand laid on the ground, forever unmoving and separated from the body. Vero's Semblance had kept her from using her Aura, but it had also kept his own Aura from defending him when the scythe had cut through skin, flesh and bone and removed his hand. His Semblance now inactive, his Aura was already working on closing the wound, but he would never wield a sword again, not unless he got a prosthetic or learned how to fence left-handedly.

"RUBY!".

She used her Aura to kick the boy off her and rolled on her feet, awkwardly adjusting her shorts even if they were stained with Vero's blood. Yang was beside her in a second, immediately going into full sister mode and checking her for any injury or anything. Nora, Blake, Weiss, Ren and Pyrrha were all behind her, taking in the scene with wide and furious eyes. Even Ren seemed absolutely enraged.

But the Wraith wasn't done.

She grabbed Vero's hair and forced him to look up at her before smashing the handle into his nose, breaking it and forcing his Aura to work on that as well. With the level of injuries he had suffered, his Aura was going down very quickly, and he couldn't even defend himself. The scythe's next swing hit him square in the head, lowering his Aura even further. Had it been a spar, his Aura would've been deep in the red, signalling his inability to fight further and the end of the spar.

But this wasn't a spar.

The Wraith dropkicked him and sent him sprawling on the ground, his Aura shattering with a sound of static, black ripples running across his body. Then the Wraith dropped her scythe and pushed both hands under her cloak, reaching for something. Vero tried to scramble away but another kick sent him back on the floor, breaking his jaw. All the Beacon students stood still, simply looking at the one-sided fight and what was probably the end of Vero Tear. Destiny had said Mercy had spared him, but from how this Wraith moved, she wasn't Mercy.

Finally, the Wraith seemed to find the objects she was looking for, drawing her hands back and now holding two things in her hands.

A small seed and a syringe of Life Dust.

Walking up to the downed boy, the Wraith inserted the point of the syringe into the seed and pushed, emptying it, before carelessly tossing the empty tool away, not minding when it landed two feet away from Nora. Grabbing Vero by the front of his shirt, the Wraith pulled him on his feet and then held him four inches in the air, glowering at him.

Then she showed the seed down his throat.

It took a few more seconds for it to have visible effect, but Vero's screams told everyone just how much it hurt. The seed began growing saplings and roots that, reinforced and hastened by the Life Dust, pierced deep in Vero's throat and exited from his flesh, finally letting everyone see the horror of the instrument of his death.

A tree growing inside him.

Vero's Aura, already exhausted from closing his wrist's bleeding wound and the previous fight, couldn't even try to stop the strong roots from penetrating deeper and deeper inside his chest, piercing his lungs and heart, fortunately ending his torture early on. He hadn't been able to scream for long since his throat had been torn open from the inside, but he died with his eyes widened in abject terror, his only remaining hand clawing at his throat to try and tear out the growing tree.

The seven students could only watch in horror as the tree's roots began piercing his torso, freeing themselves from the restraints of his body by forcing it apart, opening large holes in his already dead flesh. The initially green vines now hardened into light brown wood, ripping his flesh and skin irregularly, something bringing with them small bits of flesh stuck on the bark. Vero's legs were broken and torn as the roots finally found the ground and anchored to it with no regards for his body standing in between.

Vero's head cracked and split as a larger vine sprouted through his brain, blood and grey matter hiding the underlying brownish white colour of the wood. The tree grew and grew, defiling his corpse even further, small pieces of him dropping from the newly formed branches, still devoid of leaves. His left arm was torn from his body and dropping after the branch had grown even further, now laying in a small puddle of bloody mud underneath the growing tree.

The Wraith watched emotionlessly as the tree continued to grow despite the blood on its bark that painted its natural whitish brown of crimson. Vero's body lost any semblance of humanity as the tree's trunk widened enough to force his torso open, spreading bits of flesh and organs all around. None arrived to the Wraith nor to the students, but the seven recoiled nonetheless in disgust and horror.

Finally, the branches began bending downwards, and they recognized the type of plant. It was a willow. Usually found by rivers, the branches of willows were bent downwards enough to touch the ground, giving the tree a peculiar dome design. The tree was now at its full size, fifteen and some yards in height and with a trunk diameter of more than a yard. Its branches surrounded the tree, creating a small dome as wide as the tree was tall, but still bare.

And last came the leaves, usually of a green so light it almost seemed white, now bright crimson for all the blood the tree had absorbed as it grew from Vero's now unrecognisable corpse. They covered each branch in a shower of bright scarlet, so deep and lucid they seemed to be drenched in blood. The tree's bark was already of a brownish shade of red, and the whole tree gave off an aura of dread, as if it had come straight out of hell covered in blood.

The Wraith picked up her scythe and looked at them before walking away, towards the house, no more caring about the defilement of Vero Tear's cadaver. Six of the students were too horrified by having just witnessed the death of the boy, but the last one, Ruby, watched the Wraith as she walked away. "You are Vengeance, right?", she called out, not loudly enough to snap her friends out of their stupor, but loud enough to attract the Wraith's attention. She turned to look at her.

 **"I am Death"** , she said with her ever-shifting voice, deep and light at the same time. **"And he was foolish enough to stand in my way. Do not mourn him, as he does not deserve mourning. He was a monster worse than the Grimm, and as a monster he died. I only brought justice"**.

Ruby shivered at hearing her voice again, but her mouth moved before she could prevent it from doing so, speaking words she was thinking but she'd never utter in front of Death, especially since she didn't want to have her attention focused on her any longer. But her traitorous mouth didn't listen to her commands to shut up and spoke nonetheless. "Thank you. Hadn't you arrived...". Her head looked away, even if her instincts told her not to break eye contact. "...I wouldn't have been able to escape, and he would've... he would've raped me".

The Wraith nodded slowly, still watching her intently. **"You are welcome, Ruby Rose"** , she said gravely. **"Remember: the Trail of Blood isn't a path of horror. It's a path of righteous justice, harsh understanding and hard-earned acceptance. It is not in my goal to kill you unless you decide to try and kill us"**.

In her mind, Ruby was shocked. She was having a conversation with Death! _Death!_ But her body continued to move and speak in autopilot, prolonging the dialogue. "We just want to have Jaune back", she explained sadly. "Is it too much to ask for?".

The Wraith shook her head. **"It isn't, Ruby Rose, but you should've kept him when you still had him. Now it will be more difficult for you to get him back"** , she replied. **"But your words are truthful, so I want to make you an offer. Take three days to think. One for the past. Think about all the things you did with Jaune Arc. One for the present. Think of everything about him you now miss. And one for the future. Think about what you will do, when and if you get him back"**.

"I will", promised the petite crimsonette.

 **"After three days have passed, go into the Emerald Forest, to the temple's ruins you fought on during your initiation. At midnight. There, you will receive a gift from Death, but take heed: if you don't let it go before the first lights of dawn, you will never have Jaune Arc back"** , stated Death before turning and walking away, through a wall and back into the house, leaving seven shocked students and a mangled corpse behind.

It was time to return to Beacon.

 ** _Everyone thought Vero had died back in chapter 13 (apart a few who guessed I wasn't done with him yet). First rule when you're watching anime or reading fics about anime: don't write off someone as dead until you see their corpse, or you see them die._**

 ** _So... Vero died quickly but quite horribly. Also, the willow is blood-red because it absorbed Vero's blood when it was growning. It will lose it in a few weeks of feed off the ground instead of his corpse. But why a willow? Well, in Italian, the willow is called `salice piangente`, literally `crying willow`. Since Vero's surname is Tear, I wanted to make some irony._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	25. One for the Past

**_Hey everyone! I'm back on trail (of blood) with the first of three chapters. This will be another short arc: Three Days and a Night._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

 _Dear diary,_

 _Beacon is so awesome! I wonder if anyone else is as excited as I am. Yang seems pretty cool about it, but that might just be Yang being Yang. As long as she's overconfident, I'm sure she's Yang alright. Everything in Beacon looks so cool! The grounds are awesome, and the school itself is basically a giant castle! I can't way to attend! Everything's incredible, from the building to the teachers, to the students!_

 _...well, apart from one student._

 _Not like he's not nice! He is! It's just... he doesn't really look that much of a fighter. Maybe I should try to stick with him to help him? I've been moved two years ahead. That must count for something, right? Argh! One moment I want to help him, and the next I need help myself._

 _Anyway, he was really really nice. Not nice in a flirty way like the way boys are when around Yang. And he wasn't even polite. He genuinely cared about my health when he found me in a crater in the middle of the schoolyard._

 _Don't ask why I was in a crater, diary, or I'll spray you with pink ink._

 _He helped me up, and didn't even leave me when I accidentally reminded him of his little problem on the airship. That was stupid of me. I mean, one can't just decide not to have motion sickness, right? It's like as if I had mocked him for being blond._

 _Oh, he's blond by the way._

 _He's also tall. Very tall. Like, he towered a good foot over me. It was kinda embarrassing to have to look up every time I wanted to look into his eyes and not at his chest. His weapons were nice, though. I really like modern super-weapons of mass destruction, but a family heirloom? Heck, it must have a hell of a story behind it. And it must've killed way more Grimm than any newly-made weapons, like Uncle Qrow's. Not by skill, by by mere time._

 _Not like Uncle Qrow would ever admit being outplayed at his Grimm count by any weapon, of course._

 _Oh, and his name is Jaune. Jaune Arc, actually. After he said it, he said some sort of silly one-liner, but it was more cute than flirty. He doesn't look a really good flirter. Not like I'm the one to speak, eheh... Anyway, he was really nice! Even Yang said so!_

 _...even if I suspect she said it only to make me happy._

 _Only because his pyjamas aren't cool nor revealing! I mean, it's true we're bunking in early September! It's not Summer any more!_

 _...even if I miss her so much..._

 _/-New Entry-/_

 _I'm deeeeeaaaaaad..._

 _Ugh, initiation was really something. Even Yang has stopped being Yang and gone to sleep, but I wanted to write a little bit._

 _I've met a bunch of new friends today. I've even Weiss as friend now! ...not telling why she wasn't before._

 _Then there's Blake, a girl I met yesterday after I finished writing my entry. She's kinda shy or maybe socially awkward, reads a lot and seems always bored. Or annoyed. Or both._

 _She's on my team like Weiss and Yang. We are team RWBY, whose leader is... drum rolls... me! I don't know why, but now I'm the leader and I'm gonna do everything right! I'm sure of it! Even if Weiss continues to give me the stink eye as I write, I'm sure everything will be okay!_

 _Then there are Ren and Nora, on another team. They're... opposite is the best way to describe them. Ren is collected, calm and logical. Nora is hyperactive, cheerful and admittedly a tad crazy. Yet they are apparently together... no matter how many times Nora tries to deny that. They kinda cute together. They even each other out._

 _Then there's Pyrrha. She's... well, many would say she's perfect in everything, and I guess they'd be kinda right. She's so perfect it's irritating. Her smile's perfectly bright, her body's perfectly curvaceous and athletic, her hair is perfectly combed and treated, her voice is perfectly rich and musical, her fighting style is perfectly flawless, her weapons are made with perfect materials, her manners are perfect, her persona is perfectly cured, and from what we've spoken about she'll be have perfect grades too._

 _And she's empty._

 _It's not an insult: far from it. It's just that... she's too perfect in everything Huntress-related (be it her looks, her weapons, her training or her grades), but in everything else... she's just empty. When we mentioned a movie_ _ **everyone**_ _saw, even Weiss, she only looked awkward and stopped speaking. When we talked about our combat skills, when it was Jaune who stayed silent, she spoke awkwardly, as if she didn't really want to speak. And if the subject went even a bit out of the fields covering combat and school, she just fell quiet, looking around awkwardly. As if she hadn't seen_ _ **any**_ _of those movies._

 _Anyway, then there's Jaune. Everyone kinda treads around him carefully, not because he's dangerous or anything, but because they think he's weak and don't know how to approach the subject. I don't think he's weak. I mean, during initiation he freaking stopped the Deathstalker's pincer with his shield! Yeah, many Huntsmen can do that if they focus on their Aura, but even Uncle Qrow wouldn't be daring enough to try and stop a Deathstalker. Against the Grimm, we humans are far weaker, so we usually rely more on speed and agility than strength, but Jaune freaking stopped a Deathstalker's pincer._

 _Okay, maybe I'm a bit exaggerating, but I stand what I said... wrote._

 _Anyway, Jaune seemed a bit nervous about the start of the school, but he quickly got over his nerves and gave the first command of our stay at Beacon: go to bed. He has been made the leader, a position all the rest of my teammates are sceptic about. I think it's fitting. No one else thought of leading an organised attack against the Deathstalker. Yeah, maybe his orders weren't the most complex, maybe not like what we did with the Giant Nevermore, but they were in a different position. Also, Dad always says that the best plans are the simple ones. You need complex only when you need to outsmart an opponent and a Grimm... well it's not hard to outsmart one. Also, they didn't need to ground it first. Yang secretly thinks he'll just drag us all down, something I still haven't forgiven her for saying. Blake blatantly stated he's too weak to even_ _ **be**_ _here at Beacon, but it wasn't what really grated my nerves. Weiss flat-out insulted him and even dragged him to Goodwitch before the school had even started, to ask her to remove him from the position and let Pyrrha be the leader, since Pyrrha is a better fighter and a better student in all subjects, if what Weiss says about her is true. Goodwitch said she agreed with Weiss, but that unfortunately it wasn't her decision to make, but Ozpin's._

 _I felt really bad for Jaune._

 _Yeah, maybe he isn't as skilled as we are. He still had the courage to apply at Beacon, where he probably_ _ **knew**_ _he would suffer this treatment. Weiss is still sore but I think she'll eventually just forget the issue. Yang shrugged it off with a `not my problem` and Blake seemed as bored as usual. I personally think Jaune can make for a great leader. He just needs a bit more confidence. He completely lacks of it, and if Weiss continues with her onslaught, he might not ever build up confidence. He seemed to think pretty lowly of himself, given how he agreed with Weiss and Goodwitch._

 _I'm sure everything will sort itself out._

 _/-New Entry-/_

 _Not everything sorted out by itself._

 _Weiss and I have stopped arguing now, but Jaune's problem is worse than ever. Weiss continually reminds him how he shouldn't even be here in Beacon, something Weiss and I argued a lot about, Blake basically ignores him as if he isn't even there and Yang makes him the butt of all her jokes. Ren and Nora are quite neutral, just following what he says and not interfering in the arguments. Pyrrha is pretty supportive of him, but she lacks the fire to be a good arguer. She just meekly states he's not as bad as Weiss thinks, and that is only worsening the situation._

 _Also, there's this other student, Cardin Winchester, who's taken a liking for Jaune. A liking meaning he likes to bully him at all times. I've lost count of how many times he picked on him even just during the first week. That bully and his team pick on Velvet too, a second year Faunus, only because they know she won't fight back. As if she couldn't hand their asses to them in a second. They're the weakest team in the entire Academy, they pick on Jaune just because he can't defend himself._

 _Goodwitch isn't helping, either. She continually berates Jaune for every single mistake he does. Heck, when Jaune and Cardin fought, she berated Jaune but didn't say anything to Cardin. And let me just tell you, diary: Cardin's fighting style could be summed up as flailing around with an overcompensating mace. Yet she said nothing about him. Another thing that irked me a lot has happened during Teamwork and Strategy. She insisted for Team JNPR to be led by Pyrrha, then Ren and even Nora before grudgingly allowing Jaune to lead. I'm not usually one to get angry at teachers, but she's really pushing it! Now everything thinks lowly of Jaune because she thinks lowly of him. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one who truly stands up for him._

 _Pyrrha's not against him, mind me, but she's still unable to really stand up for him. She doesn't seem to be able to seriously argue with someone. Se can state her opinion, but she can't argue with someone. Ren and Nora don't really take part in any of those arguments. Nora usually tells the others about some dreams she's had and Ren corrects her where she exaggerates._

 _As for my team... I'm ashamed to say I don't even know if they and Jaune could be called friends. Jaune certainly considers them friends. Weiss is frosty with him, far more than how she's been with me, and not just harshly rejects him every time he tries to ask her out, but also criticises every single thing he does, and refuses to take part in anything planned by him. It's like she thinks he can do nothing right! Blake... I don't even know if she ignores him purposefully or if she thinks so lowly of him she doesn't even speak to him. And what she does say are politely short sentences. She also glares at him a lot for not standing up for himself, and every time he gets a bad grade or is berated by a professor. Yang makes fun of him, and won't drop the Vomit Boy nickname even if it's insulting, belittling, and now not even true since he hasn't been motion sick ever since the first day, and we've gone to Vale quite a few times now for school supplies and entertainment. I thin Yang thinks really low of him just because he isn't strong. She's always been like this: if you're good at fighting, you're worthy, if you're not, she can make fun of you. I've always thought it to be kind of the same thing bullies do, but hers is a lot less extreme. Still unfair, though. I have tried speaking with her but she always dismiss it as friendly banter._

 _Which is not._

 _Jaune himself looks as if nothing is wrong. He tanks all of Weiss's insults and rejections, all of Yang's mockeries, all of Blake's glares, all of Goodwitch's rebukes and all of Cardin's bullism and says nothing. He is always cheerful and serene and kind and nice and helpful and selfless... sometimes I don't know if he's made of pure light, or if it's us who are dark and corrupted. In comparison it surely looks so._

 _/-New Entry-/_

 _Diary, I think I'm in love._

 _It's strange how it happened... I mean, now that I think of it, I've been in love for several days now, maybe even weeks. And I guess you know who am I talking about... he's the same I've been talking about for a while now._

 _Jaune Arc._

 _He's so nice and kind and helpful... I mean, what's_ _ **not**_ _to like? Yang doesn't like him because he's not as skilled as she is, but that can be fixed. You can train someone into a warrior, but it's much harder to train someone into a knight. Jaune is a knight._

 _Sometimes, though, I wish he wouldn't be so perfect. Never angry, never selfish, never negative. He always has time for his friends, and loves to help us whenever he can. Weiss, Blake and Yang ignore him even when he's helping them, and that is really starting to piss me off. Who do they think they are, spitting over someone's effort like that?! Especially effort done to help them in the first place! Just because they're prideful Huntresses doesn't mean they should snap at him every time he offers help._

 _Sometimes I wish he snapped back. I wish he told them how bitchy they're acting. I wish he wouldn't simply tank it all in with an easy smile and a happy-go-lucky expression. At least he went to Goodwitch for the fact Cardin was bullying him non-stop._

 _I didn't like what she replied._

 _She said that since this is a combat school, the students should be able to take care of themselves, and that if Jaune had problems with that maybe he should re-evaluate his choice to attend Beacon. I don't think I've ever been as angry as that day. It looks like everyone is against him just because he's not the strongest student!_

 _I can't stand that. I already took Cardin aside and spoke with him about the matter. He understands... or at least he understood Crescent Rose. When I'm not around he will probably leave Jaune alone from now on, even if I know he'll just continue when I'm not around. But this is the most I can do for Jaune if he doesn't ask for help. I can't stalk him around, after all..._

 _Still, I'm in love._

 _I mean, he recently acquire a new white cloak to match mine, even if I don't think he did it to really match me, but it's nice to know. Yang teased and threatened him, of course. He really looks like a knight now, but what made me realize my feelings was when he baked me cookies._

 _No, not just because he baked me cookies. I'm not that shallow._

 _I hadn't eaten cookies in almost two weeks because Weiss and Yang alike thinks it's bad for my health. Late at night, he sent me a message to meet him in the courtyard. It was after midnight. I slipped out of my dorm and reached him, and there I found him with a gigantic tray full of home-made cookies. He had made them himself, stealing time from sleep. When I asked him why he had done it, he said he couldn't bear to see me so sad and that he would've done anything to keep me smiling. That losing some hours of sleep was nothing if it let him see my smile for even one more time._

 _Oum, I don't think I've ever been as red as I turned back then._

 _He looked so handsome in the moonlight. He was smiling, too. Not his usual smile, so light and carefree. That was a different smile. It carried a huge weight with it, and that made it only shine further. He looked so tired, so defeated and yet so happy. It wasn't a carefree smile nor a light-hearted one. For a second, I didn't see the goofy, clumsy but always cheerful and happy-go-lucky Jaune everyone sees every day. For a second I saw a boy weighted down by a heavy burden who still found the will to smile through it, to be happy for the smallest reason only because the smallest reasons where the only ones he had._

 _It broke my heart, and at the same time filled me with happiness, to know my smile was the source of his own happiness. True happiness, not his usual cheer._

 _I think I'm in love._

 ** _Aaand I confirmed it!_**

 ** _So, I know I'm being quite harsh on WBY and Goodwitch, but this is just how I think they would act. They're not evil nor anything, but sometimes you hurt people the most when you don't think you're hurting them. I'm sure Yang thinks of it as friendly banter. I'm sure that Goodwitch and Weiss think they're trying to help him make the right decision and not get himself killed. I'm sure Blake ignores him just like she ignores everyone._**

 ** _Also, the reason for why Ruby's got a crush on Jaune is finally out!_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh._**

 ** _PS: do me a favour, okay? If you like my stories, I have a running poll on my profile. Go and vote. ;)_**


	26. Angry Tears

**_And now let's move back to Teams RWBY and NPR!_**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

The news of Vero's death spread fast.

Most didn't care at all about the death of the arrogant student, and the only ones who mourned him were his teammates. Of course they hadn't been told the truth, to avoid causing panic to spread among the students. As far as everyone knew, Vero Tear died fighting against the Grimm after he had incautiously followed Teams RWBY and NPR, accompanied by Professors Torchwick and Ozpin, in a mission he wasn't ready for. He had tried to fight an overwhelming number of Grimm and had suffered the fate he had asked for: he had been overwhelmed and torn apart by the Grimm. His weapon was returned to his father, Veritas Tear, one of the most influential people in all Vale.

Teams RWBY and NPR had walked back to RWBY's dorm after they had landed on Beacon's airship docks, still in shock for Veros' horrible death. They were all Huntsmen and Huntresses in training, but none of them could get the picture of the willow growing inside of Vero's chest, tearing him apart as its branches grew. He hadn't screamed for long, and of that they were grateful. Yang, Weiss and Ruby particularly didn't know if they would've been able to endure another round of horrible screams without going insane.

Ruby hadn't, of course, told anyone about Death's offer. She knew they would've just forbidden her to go and they would've tried to ambush Death at the ruins, probably ruining everything. She was curious, sure, but she knew that curiosity killed the cat, and could very well kill the girl as well if she wasn't careful. Even Ozpin didn't know about it, and that was saying it all. She wasn't going to tell anyone, either. It was too much of a risk. What if they kept her from going? What if Death's gift was something that would've helped her find Jaune again? Heck, she was also _sure_ it would be something that would lead her closer to Jaune. Death was devious, scary, possibly evil, twisted and antagonistic, but what she had said made sense. _'The Trail of Blood isn't a path of horror, but one of righteous justice, harsh understanding and hard-earned acceptance'_ , she recalled the Wraith's words clearly. And if she hadn't lied there, then it was safe to assume her gift wasn't a good decapitation for Ruby.

Of course, she might've also been completely wrong, and to wait for her at the ruins there was no less than Death herself, scythe at hand and a cute little girl to tear to many little pieces.

"G-Guys...".

Everyone looked at Yang, who gulped nervously. "D-Do you think the W-Wraith are gonna k-kill us as well?", she asked with a slight trembling in her voice. "L-Like V-Vero?".

"It _is_ possible", conceded Weiss. "I-I mean, they haven't shown much hostility against us, m-more like against the people around us, b-but... well, they could change t-their mind very quickly...".

"No". Ruby stared back at them when they stared at her. Her voice remained steady. "They aren't gonna kill us if we don't try to kill them first. It's not in their goal. I've met Death twice so far, and in both cases she helped me... even if in horrible ways. Their goal isn't to kill us. The blood they are spilling is not ours", she continued firmly. "They wouldn't be doing all of this, if their goal was nothing but kill us. They _want_ us to find Jaune, but only after they are done with us".

"If they wanted to give Jaune back, then they would've already done it", argued Weiss, and the others voiced their agreement with her as well. "They don't want to return Jaune. They're just making fun of us, because they like to see us struggle in vain".

"No, Weiss, you're wrong", replied Ruby. "They want to give Jaune back. _We_ are the problem. They don't want to give Jaune back to _us_. What they told us back at the Arc household is true. We need to think about what they told us. We are the problem".

She turned to Yang. "I've been keeping in these words for so long now... Yang, you have always made Jaune the butt of every joke and never really cared about him because he was weak. Why do you think the Wraith would return him to such a person?", she said, making the blonde flinch. "And don't deny it: it's true. Don't say you're changed now, either, because we know you are saying that only because of the Wraiths".

Yang looked away.

"Weiss, you have always been harsh and cold to him. What has changed from back then? It's just the guilt that drives you?", continued Ruby, turning to the heiress, who looked down in shame. "It is. You think you've changed, and maybe you have, but those choices you'd make... they'd be out of guilt, not out of genuine care for Jaune. You'd feel bad about all this mess, and so you would treat Jaune better, but only because of what happened in these days".

Weiss looked away.

"And you, Blake", Ruby said as she narrowed her eyes. Blake in particular was the subject of her wrath among her friends. "You hid your Faunus heritage and the fact you were once a member of the White Fang. You said you left without killing anyone, but what about thefts? How much did you steal? And then you acted all holier-than-thou with Jaune. As Mistrust said, all that changed from back then to now is that now you know he isn't racist. Newsflash, Blake, the world isn't racist. Only the ideas you have of humans".

Blake looked away.

Ruby continued with her onslaught, a fire she had never thought was burning in her chest. "Nora, you were always all `Oh, let's break their legs!` and everything, but in the end _I_ was the only one who actually did something, and what I did wasn't even remotely enough to stop the bullism Jaune went through", she berated her harshly, making her wince. "I thought you went through bullism as well, but maybe you were too busy not caring about someone as weak as Jaune to _look deeper_ ".

Nora looked away.

"But let's move on to you, Ren. You often said he was the brother you never had. Well, then why didn't you prove it? Why didn't you stand up for him? _Why didn't you give the smallest sign of caring about him at all?!_ ", spat Ruby, her eyes blazing and feral. Ren almost took a step back. "Instead, when he was having trouble, you were telling stories with Nora, and _your_ biggest problem was avoiding Nora to eat all the syrup when you made pancakes".

Ren looked away.

"And finally you, Pyrrha. I'm particularly disappointed in you". Ruby's voice had changed now, going from hot anger to cold disappointment. Pyrrha looked away. "You claimed to have a crush on him. Well, then you should've stood up for him. Instead, all you could do was to meekly state he wasn't that bad. You've never been bullied in your life. Loneliness? That was probably a _dream_ for Jaune, given how every student he met seemed hellbent on making his life miserable. You never understood _a thing!_ How can you love him, if all of him you can see is when he's happy?! He comforted you many times... you never returned the favour, you know? Well, _maybe it was because you two weren't close enough for him to open up to you!_ ".

Pyrrha's eyes snapped back to lock into Ruby's, and both were misty with tears.

"How can you say that?", she half-hissed, half-sobbed. "Do you think I _liked_ seeing him being bullied and desperate?! Do you think I would've ignored him if I had the chance to help him?! Could I _really_ have done something?!".

Ruby's eyes turned hard. "Yes", she retorted. "Like _I_ found the guts to do".

Everyone looked at her, expectantly, even as Pyrrha's eyes hardened as well. "And how, pray tell?", she hissed angrily. "We might've done nothing, but it's not like _you_ did anything, either".

"Well, at least I told Cardin never to try and bully Jaune again!", she retorted. "I kicked his sorry ass strong enough for him to remember that Jaune is my _friend_ , not just some person I can _use for my own gain, and throw aside as soon as I don't need him any more!_ ".

With those parting words, she stormed out of the room, sobbing, leaving six hurt students to force down their tears.

/-/

"What do you mean, _he's dead?!_ ", exclaimed Veritas Tear, panting heavily as he glared at Ozpin.

"He tried to fight a number of Grimm he wasn't prepared for, and he didn't make it", repeated the headmaster, staring impassively at the member of the Vale Council. "Mr Tear, your son followed two other teams into a mission he couldn't take on on his own. And since he went on his own, he suffered an unfortunate demise. He has been given the status of KIA, and I've called you here to give you back Látigo Atroz, his weapon of choice".

"I don't care about his weapon!", shouted the man. "I want my son back!".

"I'm sorry, but he is dead. He is beyond anyone's reach now", replied Ozpin, tired. "We can do nothing but mourn him. Unfortunately, the Grimm don't have any respect for the lives of the Huntsmen they kill. We haven't been able to retrieve the body, but-".

"Call them here", ordered Veritas.

"Pardon me?".

"Call them here", repeated the Councilman. "The two teams he followed on a mission. I want them here in ten minutes, Ozpin, or there will be serious consequences, believe me. I want you to call them here here and now, and I want them to tell me everything they know about Vero's death. Summon them here, Ozpin, I know you can do it".

Ozpin frowned, but he said nothing as he hit the intercom button. "Please, may Teams RWBY and NPR report to the Headmaster's office immediately. Repeat, may Teams RWBY and NPR report to the Headmaster's office immediately".

Veritas grinned grimly.

Ten minutes later, the seven students entered the room, all with still fresh tear stains and looking at each other in shame. Pyrrha and Ruby seemed tense with each other. Ozpin briefly wondered what had happened, but then shook the thoughts about of his head to focus on the man who had forced him to summon them there.

"Headmaster?", Ren called out, puzzled.

"I asked him to summon you here", interjected Veritas. "My name is Veritas Tear, and I'm one of the members of the Vale Council. I'm also Vero's father. I've been told you were the teams on the mission on which he died. Am I right?".

The seven looked down. "Y-Yes sir", confirmed Yang.

The man's eyes narrowed. "Team VVPR was the team my son was in", he spat angrily. "You three are his teammates. So, if you were on a mission, it means he should've been on that mission as well. And that means you are somehow involved in his death".

The three shook their heads, shocked. "That's not true!", exclaimed Nora. "We didn't like him, but we wouldn't have _killed_ him!".

"So you didn't like my son. I guess you were jealous of his strength", began Veritas. "So, when you were fighting the Grimm, you _conveniently_ forgot he was there as well, abandoning him to the Grimm. He fought and fought and fought, expecting his team to at least pick him up or tell him when the mission was over so he could return, and you never showed up. He continued to fight until the Grimm became too many for him and he lost... a little unbelievable, if you think about it".

They sighed in relief.

"No, my son would've never lost to the Grimm. He was stronger than that. Instead, I think I see the true picture. You left him to fight the Grimm, watched him carefully and then, after he finished the Grimm, approached him friendlily, backstabbing him when he was turned", he continued. "Yes, this is how it went. Vero was stronger than the Grimm, but no one would ever be on their guard with their friends. He trusted you and you, in jealousy, killed him".

"Mr Tear, this is enough!", exclaimed Ozpin, raising from his chair.

"No, Ozpin, this isn't enough", spat out the man. "I will see them thrown out of Beacon for this. If my son can't attend it, then they can't, either. I am the head member of the Council. They do as I want. And I will have these murderers expelled".

"We aren't murderers!", shouted Weiss. "It has been the Wraiths' fault!".

When everyone glared at her, she realized her mistake.

"Wraiths?", repeated Veritas, slowly and dangerously. "You never spoke of Wraiths, Ozpin... were you withholding important informations about the death of my son? I want to know _everything_ , Ozpin. Now. As head of the Vale Council, I _command_ you to tell me everything you know about these Wraiths".

 ** _You did the worst thing you could've done, Weiss. Also, Ruby is finally starting to blow off some steam! Let's merrily shatter friendships and stomp over feelings! Yay!_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	27. One for the Present

**_Hey everyone! I'll reply here to the reviewer Xealchim since they have disabled the PM on their profile. I know normally Veritas Tear doesn't have all that power over Ozpin, but keep in mind Ozpin has been withholding informations regarding Vero's death when he blamed it on the Grimm. And that's actually a crime as well. Also, it's difficult for Ozpin to be liked by the Council, since they asked Ironwood to secure Vale instead of Ozpin, who has admittedly hyperpowered students at his beck and call. So it wouldn't take much for Mr Tear to turn them against Ozpin._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

 _He's gone._

 _I don't even know what really happened._

 _He told us about his fake transcripts. Weiss, Yang, Blake and Ren were angry. Pyrrha and Nora were hurt he didn't told us earlier. He said he would give us time to think about it, and he went off on his own. The others then talked and discussed. Four of them were angry at him, and wanted him expelled because of both his lie and the fact he could endanger us with his inexperience. The other two couldn't really take his side because they thought he didn't trust us._

 _Newsflash. Really._

 _Of course he didn't trust us. Three of us were always shunning him and belittling him, two of us always ignoring him, and the other trying to encourage him but having_ _ **no**_ _idea what he went through. Weiss, Yang and Blake were all condemning him for his transcripts, and wanted him expelled. Yang wanted to tell him to stay away from me to avoid me getting hurt because of him. Nora was sad he didn't told us earlier, Pyrrha was wondering why he hadn't told us earlier. Ren was fuming silently, feeling betrayed._

 _Jaune should be the one feeling betrayed. Oh, no, right, this isn't betrayal for him._

 _ **This is exactly what he had expected us to do.**_

 _He didn't want to give us time to think about it. He simply knew what their reaction would've been, and wanted not to be there to bear the brunt of it. Because that's all he has always gotten from them. The brunt of their emotions, and never a true apology later. They would vent on him and then be calmer, but never apology. For them, it was normal to vent on him. After all, he was weak. Unskilled. Clumsy. Stupid. Useless._

 _ **A waste of space**_ _, as Weiss called him multiple times._

 _The day after we learned CRDL had been eavesdropping the revelation and had told Goodwitch, another at fault for what has happened to Jaune. She has always been against Jaune, and so she went to expel him immediately, without even consulting the Headmaster._

 _ **Why was EVERYONE against him?! What did he do to deserve such hatred?! Just because he was untrained?!**_

 _I'm starting to believe that's the reason. He was kind, goofy but friendly, helpful, selfless, nice and all around a good person. Only because he couldn't fight. What kind of academy for heroes is this?! Do they train us to be heroes or tyrants?!_

 _Goodwitch expelled Jaune. He ran away, and that was the last time I've seen him._

 _And it's all their fault._

 _/-New Entry-/_

 _I'm scared._

 _Everything is wrong. My teammates and team NPR are starting to regret what they did, and they deserve everything. It's their fault he's gone, and now some madman is writing with his blood._

 _Everyone is scared as well._

 _They seem to have forgotten they are the ones who are at fault. Hadn't they been so holier-than-thou with him, he wouldn't be in this. Who knows, hadn't they been so... so... so_ _ **heartless**_ _to him, then maybe he wouldn't have had to to this._

 _It's my fault, too._

 _Hadn't I provoked Cardin, he wouldn't have ratted him out. But he was still pissed I threatened him, and searched for revenge. His revenge has gotten Jaune in this position. I would kill him if I could._

 _Maybe, if I had paid more attention to Jaune, all this wouldn't have happened. In hindsight, it was obvious Cardin couldn't have possibly been the only one who bullied him. There were probably many more. Some of them harassed even us. Vero Tear and his Team TTNN are the worst. There was no way they hadn't bullied Jaune mercilessly._

 _/-New Entry-/_

 _One of the Them gave us his diary._

 _I... I can't describe what I felt when I began readying. Would it contain spite for us? Would it contain words of hatred? Would it contain forgiveness? Or maybe he would just remember all of us without judgement?_

 _The truth was much worse._

 _Self loathing. Every page is so filled with such a self-hatred I felt ill. He hated himself. Anything he did was never enough. Now I can understand how he could tank all the ridicule and hatred he suffered at Beacon. They could never put him down more than he already put himself down. I had the feeling that the true Jaune wasn't what everyone saw everyday, and I was right._

 _I just couldn't imagine the truth would be so terrifying._

 _He was... I don't even know how to describe it. He was crushed under his own self-hatred. He hated himself for some reason and could never forgive himself. I have no idea why. I have no idea for how long this has gone on. I just hope he will be alright._

 _Who am I kidding?_

 _It's obvious he won't be alright. No one would be alright in his situation. The others are just now starting to realize how much deeper the problem ran. My grudge against them is lessening. They weren't the true reason for his breakdown, only the last drop. They couldn't have known._

 _/-New Entry-/_

 _I think I figured him out._

 _Well, not really. But I have an inkling. I still don't know where this Trail will lead us, but I think I'm starting to see the truth about Jaune's past. About why he acted the way he acted. I don't think the others have noticed but I can't be sure._

 _It all leads back to the Wraiths._

 _The first time he summoned them has been when his father Keaa Konis told him what happened to the Arcs. Jaune must've been devastated by this. He must've felt betrayed, hurt, alone, angry and confused. And those feelings gave birth to the first Wraiths. Like in the song Destiny played. All those feelings poured together forged Death. His anger created Wrath. His loneliness created Vengeance against the one who had killed all his family. His hurting forged Agony. Konis's betrayal created the Wraith Betrayal, his confusion gave birth to Madness, and his resentment against Konis gave birth to Hatred. Then the Wraith killed Konis and mangled his corpse right in front of him._

 _In a way, he faulted himself for Konis's death._

 _He probably thought that hadn't he lost control, nothing would've happened. He thought it had been his fault if his father was dead. How long did he remain in that room, curled up in abject terror, waiting for someone to save him? Hours?_ _ **Days?**_ _I don't know and probably never will. But that day left scars on him. Not on his body, but on his mind._

 _Because it had been his negative emotions that had summoned the Wraiths, Jaune must've been terrified of feeling negativity any more. The sister he talked about in his diary must've been Torchwick's daughter, whatever her name was. The one who convinced him to go to a psychiatrist. But the problem might ran deeper than that. Jaune himself might not know what was he doing._

 _He was suppressing his own emotions._

 _Then I asked myself why would he let everyone bully him. It made no sense. He knew bullism would've brought him negative emotions, and yet he continued to suffer in silence. I thought about it for a long time, and I think I've found the answer. It's very simple, actually, and it still leads back to the day the Wraith appeared for the first time. He summoned them, and they killed Konis. He wasn't terrified of just being negative._

 _He was terrified of hurting more people._

 _In his diary he noted how he could actually beat a few of his bullies. Torchwick said he hadn't trained him, but even by being around him Jaune must've learned_ _ **something**_ _. So the only answer I can think of is that he was afraid of hurting people. Keeping his negativity in check ensured the Wraiths wouldn't escape his control and hurt more people, and keeping himself from retaliating ensured he himself wouldn't hurt people._

 _I don't think he did it for the people themselves, though. From how his life has been, it's clear he can't be the shining knight we thought he was. No, he did it because what happened that day, at Konis's house, traumatized him, possibly forever. He didn't want to repeated. Ren was wrong: Jaune wouldn't have endangered them. He was simply holding himself back in fear of hurting people. In his mind, he had hurt enough._

 _But Beacon put a strain on him. Every day he would be bullied. Initially, I thought he broke down due to our `betrayal`, but now... It's more than that. He had been approaching his limit for a long time now. Like Logic told Ren, Death was never truly defeated the first time, only pushed back. She probably stressed Jaune a lot. We'll need to be sure to beat her this time. Add to that all the bullies, all of Weiss's, Blake's and Yang's treatment, and all of Goodwitch's dislike, and he was probably already nearing his breaking point when Goodwitch expelled him._

 _The others might be acting all out of guilt, but not me. The guilt is gnawing at me, but that's not why I am acting. I am doing this for Jaune, to have him back and save him. I am doing this because I love him and I will get him back. I'm sure of this. If I can't, then no one can._

 _I will save Jaune, even if I need to beat Death herself._

 _/-New Entry-/_

 _We're in trouble._

 _We had a... admittedly fierce argument among us, and I kinda snapped at all of them. They're all hurt, Pyrrha most of all, but I stand what I told them. But that's not the real problem. The problem is that Weiss let slip to Vero's father, head member of the Vale Council, about the Wraith's involvement in Vero's death. As expected, he wasn't pleased._

 _But that wasn't all the problem. The fact is that Ozpin hadn't told him about the Wraiths, instead faulting the death of Vero to the Grimm. After Mr Tear discovered it wasn't true, he ground us for informations, and we were forced to oblige. Since now Mr Tear knows about the Wraiths, Ozpin gave us the permission to tell him everything to avoid misunderstandings. He explained how the situation is a very fragile one and he didn't want to drag the Council in this because this needed subtlety._

 _Unfortunately, that can be also called a crime. While Ozpin is in charge of what happens in Beacon, things like murders have to be reported to either the police or, thanks to his own position in the Council, to the Vale Council. Since he is at the head of an organization, Beacon Academy, he should've informed them of the problems brewing within the walls of the school. Ozpin fears he will try to force the issue to get revenge for his son's death._

 _Things got even worse when Ozpin told him about our theory. How we think the Wraiths have initially been summoned because of trauma, and now they came back because of another trauma. Mr Tear faults Jaune for this, and says Vero's blood is on his hands. If Mr Tear is anything like his son, he will probably make life hell for him when we save him. And I hate the fact we can't do anything about it because he's in the Council. Maybe it's true what they say: when you have the power to do something, you use it for your own goals. In the end, Ozpin managed to strike a deal with him, in exchange for not bringing this to the Council._

 _I'm not sure which would've been worse._

 _Ozpin agreed to temporarily step down from his position as Headmaster. That is not too bad, since if Mr Tear wanted to bring this in front of a court Ozpin's position would still be doubted. Vale's General Ayace Timber... the father of one of Vero's teammates, Freya Timber... would take his place until the Wraiths will be dealt with. Ozpin didn't have a choice because he actually did commit a crime by not reporting useful data regarding the murder of Vero. Weiss explained to us all how the Council would've probably stripped him of his position with such a charge, given just how little Ozpin is liked. Partially because he views the Councilmen as greedy and cold businessmen with no heart, and partially because he has always been slightly rebellious, like when he admitted me into Beacon without any exam or anything. And I was two years under the minimum age to enter a Huntsmen Academy._

 _So he agreed to step down temporarily, but only if he could remain as Vice Headmaster and keep his job as a Professor. Mr Tear didn't seem to be worried when he said he could. I fear he's hatching some sort of plan, and I think Ozpin noticed too. I'm scared. I don't know what will happen. Vero's father is extremely influential and wealthy, and so are Niall Wizard's family and Freya Timber's. From what I've gathered about her, Amy Null has grown up in the streets, but she's really strong. She's also the only Faunus they don't hate, but probably that's because she hates other Faunus too. I don't know why, though._

 ** _Yes, three of the team of assholes have very influential and/or wealthy parents. That's for three reasons: 1) their parents were always absent, so they turned into assholes. 2) their parents are wealthy, so they could afford the advanced training. And 3) it's actually likely for the children of the most influential and wealthy people in Vale to attend a Huntsmen Academy._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	28. All Tears Eventually Fall

**_And here I'm back. I'm probably gonna set up an updating schedule, but I will inform you when I can. Maybe 1-2 chapters each week. Dunno. The holiday was wonderful, by the way, and I have my cover image. Just waiting for my friend to send it to me._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

"Do you know why I called you all here?"

The seven students nodded like one at the now former Headmaster, Professor Medeis Ozpin. "I called you all here for two reasons. One is a very simple matter: what to do now that I am no more Headmaster of Beacon Academy. The other is a much more personal matter for you all... I wanted to know what happened between you all. It is clear something's troubling you and tension is brewing among you, and I cannot let this continue." He looked at them in the eyes before sighing. "It's eventually up to you to reconcile with each other or not. I can only hope you will."

"The second question's easy," replied Ruby, curtly. "We argued. We argued about Jaune and the part they played in his disappearance. Harsh, hard and hurtful words were thrown and then we were called by you before we could continue. And after Weiss let slip about the Wraiths we didn't really have time to talk about it."

Weiss scowled. "I see you didn't mention how you _insulted_ and _blamed_ us all and hurt us by saying it was our fault and we didn't care about Jaune," she muttered angrily.

"That's enough," stated Ozpin, sternly. "I'm quite sure everyone and no one of you is at fault here."

Ruby sighed heavily. "You're right and you're wrong, professor. Even if this sounds much like a cliché, the picture is larger than you think."

The elder man nodded, knowing what she was going to say, urging her to go on.

"I... I have a theory," the Rose continued. "We know what happened to Mr Konis, but we never focused on how that day affected Jaune. It's obvious that, since he was found in the same room, he must've seem his father's corpse. And I'm sure he _knew_ he had been the one to summon the Wraiths," stated the girl. "But he was just twelve... And that traumatized him. His father had been killed because his emotions had run rampart. And can any of you deduce what this trauma created in him?"

It was Ozpin the one who replied. "His fear of feeling negative emotions."

Given the gasps and wide eyes the others had, they were starting to understand what she meant, but she continued nonetheless. She needed to get that off her chest. "Exactly. But not _completely_ exact. He feared to let his emotions take a darker path because he feared other people would be hurt by his rampaging negativity," she explained. "This led, over the years, to the semi-perfect mask we all know. He was absolutely terrified his emotions would hurt more people, and so he shut them off, bottling them up and smiling at the world. We all thought his smile was fake. No... his entire persona was fake. I saw the true Jaune a few times, and I can assure you he was anything but light-hearted and happy-go-lucky. He worked so hard on shutting off his negativity he wasn't even doing it _consciously_. He was doing it by habit".

"But then..." began Weiss. "Why didn't he try to stop the bullism? In his diary he said he was capable of beating some of them. Why didn't he do it? We all know victims aren't the most positive of people. If he was shutting off his negativity, why allow his bullies to pick on him? That's surely something that would bring negativity to him."

"But if he had retaliated, they would've just come back ten times more." replied Blake, her eyes narrowing. "That's how bullism and discrimination works. You're not strong to pick on others on your own? Call an ally. Call ten allies. Call a hundred allies. When you have an army, it's hard to stand up to you."

"Blake's not wrong, but that's not why Jaune didn't fight back," interrupted Ruby, eyes misting over. "He blamed himself for his father's death. He was afraid of hurting more people. That's why he never tried to retaliate."

"But if that's true, then why, in his diary, did he say he wanted to kill them?" asked Blake. "When he spoke about his bullies, he said he hated them and wanted them dead."

"That was Death's influence." interjected Ren. "Logic told me that the first time the Wraiths appeared, they weren't _defeated_. Just pushed back where they come from, be it Jaune's soul or Death's domain." explained the ninja. "He also said that Death kept nagging at him, trying to push him over the edge to summon the Wraiths again. Those negative thoughts must've been Death's influence on him."

"So, Ms Rose, you think that Mr Arc may have been suppressing his emotions to avoid summoning the Wraiths again." nodded Ozpin. "But if that's the case, how can we be sure all this won't repeat itself in a few years' time?" They all looked at him, confused, so he explained. "The Wraiths. They have appeared once already, and this is the second time. What guarantees me that they won't reappear in a few years' time after we retrieve Mr Arc?"

"Well, we would defeat Death..." replied Blake. "And since she's the one who controls the Wraiths... they shouldn't appear ever again..."

"Ms Belladonna, these Wraiths have disappeared once already, and they've returned five years afterwards. For five years they did nothing and then they returned without a moment of notice." countered the former headmaster. "What can ensure me that by saving Mr Arc we won't simply make this someone else's problem?"

Ruby's eyes went wide at the implications.

"Are you saying we shouldn't help him?!" she shouted, gripping the edges of her seat so hard the wood splintered and shattered under her hands. "That just because the Wraiths follow him we should leave him to his fate?!"

Ozpin sighed. He knew this was coming, even if he would've liked for it to wait a tiny bit longer. "It's a complicated answer the one that I'm about to give you, Ms Rose, so please listen carefully," he replied with a heavy and stern expression on his face. "The point I'm trying to make you see isn't whether we should help Mr Arc or not. It's what happens if we get him back."

Ruby looked at him, not missing the word choice. "If we get him back." she repeated. "Not when, _if_. You don't think we will get him back, right? Or maybe you simply don't care. After all, what did you do to avoid this? Nothing!"

Ozpin's eyes hardened and the girl shrank back, now frightened by the old man. "Ms Rose, as much as I admit that I am partly at fault for this, I will not tolerate such accusations. While I did not know Mr Arc as well as you do, I would never wish such a fate to one of my students."

"So what now?" growled Ruby from her seat, not standing but glaring up at the professor with all the boldness she could muster. It wasn't much, but it still was more than the others had. "What do we do now that you won't be Headmaster any more? I'm not stupid, Professor, I know the Vale General won't let us continue the search and especially he will try to capture or kill the Wraiths, probably getting Jaune killed by doing that. So, give us one of the answers you're famous for. What do we do now?"

Ozpin stared at her for a few seconds in silence before he moved his gaze out of the window, studying the courtyard. The transfer students had begun to arrive, and three were the ones to attract his attention the most: a girl with mint-coloured hair and dark skin, a silver-haired guy with grey-themed clothes and a black-haired young woman with a red dress. But alas, he had other things to worry about as he turned to the students.

"I managed to spread the rumour among the student body that the Wraith who fought Team CRDL, Destiny, was no more than a professional Huntsman I hired and disguised to have students fight humiliation matches from time to time, so for our secret to be safe should the Wraiths appear again in front of a student other than you." the silver-haired Professor stated gravely. "Mr Tear promised not to inform anyone about the Wraiths apart from my substitute, Mr Timber, so I guess we won't have to worry about the media. Other than that..."

"Do you know why the Wraiths ever only mentioned you in their messages?" he asked rhetorically, already knowing the answer. "It's not because they thought you all the most responsible for what happened to Mr Arc, but the least responsible. I don't know if it was like this at first, but it is now. You are the only ones worthy. The only ones the Wraiths will allow to save him. Vero Tear was by far the worst of Mr Arc's tormentors, and yet the Wraiths killed him only when he tried to force himself on Ms Rose. They weren't taking their vengeance: they were protecting one of the few who can save Mr Arc. Still, this does not mean you won't be harmed. I personally think that the only thing you can do from now on is to follow what They say."

He looked out of the window again. The three transfer students were nowhere to be seen.

"And hope for it not to be the wrong choice."

/-/

"Yes, my friend, your new position is confirmed and will legally start being effective tomorrow at four in the morning. I suggest you to catch the students while they are having breakfast so to introduce yourself to them as their new Headmaster. I also think you should explain what is going to change and absolutely, you should show your authority. Do not let them think they can fool you."

Veritas Tear smirked as he continued to talk on the phone, explaining what he thought would be a worthy introduction of General Ayace Timber to the student body of Beacon Academy. The newly-appointed Headmaster would still keep his old position in the army as well as taking up Ozpin's former profession, so the Councilman suggested him to bring soldiers, possibly the newest Atlasian Knights, into Beacon in a show of power. The droids would also allow him to maintain a firmer hold on the students and hopefully turn Beacon Academy, from the mess it currently was, into something more similar to Atlas Academy in Mantle. Maybe Timber would even be able to catch the Wraiths and Jaune Arc, so to make them pay for what happened to...

No.

That wasn't something he wanted to think. Not now, not ever again.

He had to stop speaking for a second before he reined in his emotions. His son was dead. He would have time to mourn him later. Just like he did when his wife died three years before. He would grit his teeth and endure it all until the whole ordeal was over. Only then he would allow himself to break down and mourn his loss. Efficiency over everything. Efficiency over family.

"Remember what I said about those so-called `Wraiths` and how a boy called Jaune Arc is the responsible for their... appearance? Manifestation? It doesn't matter... well, I'd like you to search for them. Kill them or capture them, it's not important. But do not let them run freely in what is now _your_ Academy. I suggest you to put a bounty on their heads... Yes, on Arc's head too... I don't know, make it fifty thousands Liens... Yes, you should... Yes... No, the two teams are hard to explain... Yes, you should keep an eye on them and stop them from trying to find the Wraiths. They already succeeded once but they didn't do anything. They cannot be trusted. I'm gonna make their lives Hell for their role in literally _witnessing my son dying and not doing anything about it_ , but please help me out with this and make their lives Hell _inside_ the school. Extra homework, bribing the other students to harass them, freak `accidents`... Yeah, it would mean a lot to me... yeah... yeah, thanks Ayace, you're a dear friend. I'll call you later."

Veritas ended the call with a sigh. He had lost his temper for a second there. That was not okay. He needed to keep his shit together and work this mess out until the very end of it. Breaking down now was useless. Also, taking out a petty revenge on a bunch of teenagers sounded so childish, even though it would be so very satisfying. It wouldn't give him his son back, but at least he wouldn't be the only one to suffer.

 **"It's so entertaining to see the lows humanity can descend into"**.

 ** _Footnote time!_**

 ** _So, the ending of this was pretty obvious. Short chapter, but I'm posting this literally minutes before my wifi will expire._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	29. One for the Future

**_Heya guys! So, this is the last of Ruby's diary-related chapters._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

 _/- from the diary of Ruby Rose -/_

 _Dear diary,_

 _remember what I told you about being in love? Well, I thought about it a lot in the last few days. Jaune's so nice and all and I can't get him out of my mind. Not like I'm obsessed, of course, but more like I often think about him when I have nothing to do, and sometimes even when I should be doing something else. Today I began daydreaming during a fighting match. I wasn't really paying attention and now Russel has a new haircut. Goodwitch berated me on my lack of attention, saying that had I aimed a little lower I could've killed him. So now I'm trying to get these thoughts out of my head. Maybe it'll help me clear my mind._

 _Sometimes I wonder, if Jaune and I_ _will ever get together, what will happen after Beacon. We'll probably rent an apartment in Vale for a while before buying our own house. He would cook, obviously, since I wouldn't know where to start. We would get married and Yang would walk me down the aisle... wait, would Weiss be angry if I let Yang be the one? My sister or my partner? Oh, Oum, Nora will surely want to be my maid... what can I do? Should I have all three of them?_

 _...Oum, Yang and Nora at my wedding... No, I'll have Weiss, and I'll marry when both Yang and Nora will be on a solo mission. Ren will of course be Jaune's best man... and not just because he's his only male friend. Wait, if Nora will be on a mission then Ren will be with her... maybe Ozpin? I mean, Team CFVY is nice and all, but one of them is creepy and the other intimidating. Port and Oobleck are just NO, and surely I'm not letting Dad or Uncle Qrow murder him at my wedding. Ozpin is the only other male both Jaune and I know who's not an idiot. Maybe someone from Team ARTR? That Mordree guy was kinda creepy but both Arthur and Richard would probably accept._

 _Then we'll buy our own little house in the outskirts of Vale, outside the city but not too far, so to be able to visit our friends whenever we want. It will have a small but nice garden and two floors. On the first floor there'd be a bathroom with azure tiles, the kitchen and the living room. Maybe also an office where to keep computers and all that stuff? On the second floor there would be a bathroom and two bedrooms. One for Jaune and I, and one for our future children..._

 _I hope Yang won't ever see this diary._

 _At night, we will cuddle under our blankets and hug each other, searching for warmth. I will press my face into his chest, snuggling into him, and he will kiss my hair. We will fall asleep and wake up in each other's arms every morning. And over time we will need to learn how to grow children. We will be always tired for lack of sleep but we will smile as our children will start walking, then speaking..._

 _They'll call me Mommy and Jaune_ _Daddy._

 _Then we'll have to watch out for all the damage they'll cause, and smile during the long, sleepless nights shared together over a crying baby. Then we'll see our children grow and turn into adults themselves, and we'll be so proud of them. We will support them no matter the consequences, and we'll keep them on the right path._

 _Our small house will always be lively, and our children will always remember it with fondness._

 _I even have the names for the children ready. For our first either Aria or Vento, respectively in case of a female and a male. For our second Sapphire or Topaz, since my name is the name of a gem. And for our third either Rouge or Scarlet, because my colour theme is red. I'll need to discuss them with Jaune, of course, but I'll choose at least one of them._

 _And of course we'll both continue our careers as Huntsman and Huntress. We'll fight the Grimm and push them back to the darkness they came out from, and we'll save lives and villages. Maybe we won't be famous but at least we'll be doing something good for the world._

 _And then our friends will visit us and our children. Yang won't murder Jaune, even if only because she'll get to be Auntie Yang, and all the others will be a multitude of aunts and uncles. If we'll keep in touch with our old professors, they'll be Grandpa Peter and Grandpa Barty. Ozpin'll be Grand-Grandpa Ozzy, and the there'll be Grandma Glyn. Of course Nora and Ren will be, respectively, the crazy auntie and the calm uncle, married together by some unknown force. Weiss will be the one to teach my children proper behaviour while Yang will be the one to teach them not to listen to Yang. Blake will teach them to love books, even if not the ones she keeps "secret". Those, never. I'm a bit sorry for Pyrrha, because I know she has a crush on Jaune too. She'll be the serene and helpful auntie who looks too much at Daddy._

 _Said like that it sounds creepy._

 _Then there'll be Dad, who will become Granddad, who will tell my children stupid puns, together with Yang, and Uncle Qrow, who will humiliate them at videogames at every opportunity. Yikes, let's home Jaune's family isn't as messed up as mine. He'll probably have a nice mom and dad, and maybe a sister and a brother. They would both tease him immensely but would melt in front of our children's cuteness._

 _And don't even let me get started on when our firstborn will learn how to use Crescent Rose..._

 _/- New Entry -/_

 _They ruined it._

 _They ruined my dream._

 _Jaune and I won't marry and live happily in a house outside Vale. Not any more._

 _It's all their fault. He gave them all his friendliness and they threw it aside. They were blind to everything he did, except his low combat skills. For them, it was all that mattered. They saw him as some_ _ **thing**_ _, not some_ _ **one**_ _. He wasn't rich, he wasn't a prodigy, he wasn't skilled. That's all they saw. It's really true that power make people blind._

 _It's for the same reason Yang trashed that pub. She was a Huntress: she could do it. The fact they hadn't Aura and she caused thousands of Liens of damage didn't matter to her. And in the end, because both Dad and Uncle Qrow are teachers, she got off with barely a small lecture about temper. She didn't have to pay a single Lien for that. Weiss is the heiress of a company infamous for its slavery-like methods of Faunus exploits, but no one cared about that. It didn't matter. Sometimes Pyrrha is insufferable with all her involuntary holier-than-thou attitude. The fact she's the best student both academically and martially doesn't help, either. Nora daily causes damage to the school grounds and no one (except Goodwitch) berates her or dislikes her for that. Ren is hard to like or dislike because he's almost always silent, and Blake... well, she's really outspoken about her opinion of Faunus exploit, but at the same time it's clear she hides her Faunus features for some reason. I am myself not a saint, but none of us went through what Jaune went through._

 _I'm not saying Jaune was a saint, either. But the fact was that we all have our faults, him included. The only problem was that he, as opposite to all of us, did not know how to fight, and that damned him. I'm sure he had his flaws as well. But he couldn't earn respect by fighting._

 _Oum, I'm already talking as if he's dead._

 _He can't be dead._

 _Oum, please, do not let him be dead._

 _/- New Entry -/_

 _We're gonna get him back._

 _We are on the right path, I can feel it. Finding out the Wraiths' weapons' origin has been enlightening, even if the discussion with Ozpin and the revelation about Jaune hasn't. The Wraiths forged that particular weapon for a reason. I asked Velvet for the blueprints of the other weapons to look through them, but it doesn't make any sense._

 _The only logical reason for the Wraiths to choose Eclipsim would've been to imitate Death, but that's just dumb since not all of them are Death. Why didn't Light forge Solis? It's complicated. What if they all chose to use the same kind of weapon so to uphold their image? I mean, they all already dress the same way, so they could use the same kind of weapon, right?_

 _We are gonna go to the docks tomorrow, and try to capture Torchwick. The revelation that he was Jaune's tutor and mentor for five years was shocking but now I understand how could Jaune have faked his way into Beacon. What I can't understand is how couldn't he fight. I mean, maybe Torchwick isn't the best fighter in the world but he's still a Huntsman. Why didn't Jaune know how to fight?_

 _/- New Entry -/_

 _We're close._

 _I can tell that, we're close to finding some big clue or getting a larger picture._

 _Maybe in a week or two we'll have Jaune back. I will absolutely kill him for all this trouble, even if it's not truly his fault. I won't ever let him out of my sight ever again. Oum only knows what would happen next. Maybe the Grimm have a queen and she's Jaune's godmother, and kidnaps him to see how much he's grown. After the Wraiths, I wouldn't even be surprised._

 _The Wraiths have been far too calm. After they killed Vero, they had the chance to cause mayhem by showing up again, but thus far we haven't had any news about them. It's creepy, scary and relieving at the same time. I don't want to face them again so soon. I don't ever wanna face them again. If only we could interact with them in a more solid way... Like this, fleeting moments here and there, and mysterious and scary messages the rest of the times, we're getting crept out. Yang and Blake are both constantly on edge, and everyone else is simply close to breaking point. We can't go on like this much longer, and the Wraiths know it. Soon we'll make a mistake. We need to rest now when they aren't doing anything. We can't win this battle by being aggressive. We must defend ourselves against them every time, and regain our energies in the meanwhile._

 _I will absolutely kill Jaune when we get him back. He's not at fault but I'll need to vent. Then of course I won't let go of him ever again. He'll be forced to marry me even if only because I won't be releasing him ever again. Our teams will have to go on joint missions all the time because their leaders will be literally inseparable. Not even Goodwitch and her Telekinesis will do anything._

 _Of course, we'll then need to find out what exactly the Wraiths are. I got angry at Ozpin but he's right: we can't let them come back again. He hypothesized that the Wraiths will get weaker with time, given how they are the result of Jaune's trauma. He said that maybe they'll just go away once Jaune will be over what happened to his family. As if that meant anytime in the next ten years. Last time the Wraiths were stopped, but this time only Oum knows how long this will go on._

 _We even wrote a detailed training schedule for Jaune. How naive have we been. He already knows how to fight. We need to convince him that fighting isn't as horrible as he thinks. He will be bullied all over again, if we don't convince him to show his true ability._

 _But if he does..._

 _I'm not sure what his true potential might be, but judging by how Torchwick fights, I'd say he would be not bad at all. Jaune has a different fighting style, but he has the physical fitness for more or less any style._

 _Sure he has... Diary, don't tell this to Yang but I'd been blackmailing Ren to get me pictures of Jaune. Never naked, he wouldn't step so low, but bare-chested, yeah. That was before all this mess happened. I still have the pics saved on my scroll. He's not a bodybuilder but Oum if he's fit. I'd say he's more agile than anything, but I've seen how he fights. He's strong and has a hell of a stamina. And that's without speaking of his Aura reserves. Yang will never know I wrote this, but I really want to test that stamina when he comes back._

 _Really, really,_ _ **really**_ _want to test it._

 _ **Footnote time!**_

 _ **I wanted to point out that Ruby is fifteen, not five. Someone I know gave her first handjob at fifteen. Many think about sex at fifteen. And with a sister like Yang, it's statistically impossible for Ruby to be THAT innocent. Sorry if this bothers anyone. This does not make her a sex-obsessed pervert. I've had my share of sex-related thoughts too, and I've never even had a girlfriend/boyfriend. You can think about it without even being interested. My case. ;)**_

 _ **Anyway, this footnote's gonna be quite long because I wanted to list all the Wraiths who have appeared already, and I'll spoil you with one more. Also, you get to know the names of all their weapons.**_

 _ **Death (Mortem)  
Madness (Insania)  
Wrath (Ira)  
Destiny (Fatus)  
Hatred (Odium)  
Vengeance (Vindicta)  
Betrayal (Proditio)  
Misfortune (Infortunium)  
Agony (Cruciatus)  
Logic (Logicae)  
Authority (Auctoritatis)  
Sadness (Tristitia)  
Heart (Cor)  
Scare (Terrore)  
Light (Lux)  
Mistrust (Diffidentia)  
Mercy (Misericordiae)  
Heartbreak (Cor Infractus)**_

 _ **And finally, the little spoiler: two more Wraiths, still in store for you all:**_

 _ **Love (Amor)  
Torment (Tormentum)**_

 _ **As you might've noticed, between parenthesis there are the names of their weapons. Some of them you didn't know, some of them you did. Also, I wanted you all to know that Weiss faced Authority. It wasn't clear in the chapter. Sorry.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh**_


	30. Ripples in a Pond

**_Heya guys! A new chapter of Trail of Blood is out!_**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

Teams RWBY and NPR were in the mess hall for breakfast.

Each of them had taken their breakfast already. Nora and Ren alike had a huge stack of pancakes. Ruby was devouring a tray of cookies, and for once Weiss didn't complain, too busy eating her own breakfast, cornflakes in milk. Blake had poured her usual three cans of tuna onto her plate and started eating one-handed, the other flipping through a smut book of hers. Yang had chosen sausages and waffles, while Pyrrha preferred a couple of fruits and an organic tea.

They were torn from their thoughts by someone clearing their throat nearby. Their interrogative expressions turned into frowns and scowls when they saw the very-little-welcome person who had claimed their attention.

"Listen," said Cardin Winchester. "I know we haven't gotten off on the right foot, and I know it's my fault. I know I've been a jerk, and it's my fault. I know the whole thing about Arc disappearing is my fault. I'm not here to beg for forgiveness, because I know it doesn't work that way. I'm here to talk."

The seven students glanced at each other warily. The bully was alone and was also the current weakest student of Beacon. He wasn't a danger, and they all could need to vent some of their anger and frustration on him. He deserved it as well, so it was legitimate.

"Sit down and start talking." ordered Ruby, her eyes hard as she gestured Cardin to sit. Pyrrha stood up and made him take her seat, so that no one was sitting where Jaune used to sit. That spot had remained empty ever since the boy had disappeared, and as sure as Dust they weren't gonna let the bully sit there. "Now."

Cardin swallowed nervously. "Listen, I know I haven't been the nicest person ever, not even close, but I'm not a monster, okay?" he began. "I know Tear wasn't killed by the Grimm. He's too much of a coward to face the Grimm alone. So either you killed him, or someone you know..."

"We haven't killed him." retorted Weiss, glaring at him. "And why do you think we would know who did?"

"Simple enough, Ice Queen, you weren't surprised by his death. Shocked, yes, but not surprised." explained Cardin. "I'm a bully, but I'm not an idiot, nor am I blind. I saw your faces. You know what killed him, and it wasn't the Grimm. I also know that some time ago, someone left messages written in what appeared to be blood in front of your dorms. I know we're not friends, not even on amicable terms for the matter, but I'm damn scared. I know this has something to do with Arc, and Tear was basically his Tormentor No. 1, so it's possible I'll be next. I know you dislike me but I also know you don't hate me, so please tell me what the hell is going on."

The seven exchanged glances before Yang spoke up. "We clearly underestimate your intelligence, Cardin, even if our opinion of you remains around our feet." she stated with a raised eyebrow. "But you're right: you're not bad enough to deserve to be killed, especially not like Vero was. But it's a long story that you don't need to know. If it makes you feel better, you're currently not one of the next on the list. You aren't a good person, but you're by far not the worst here in Beacon. We'll tell you when we think you might be in danger."

Cardin's eye twitched. "That's it?" he hissed. "`We'll tell you when we think you might be in danger`?! It's my fucking life we're talking about! I may have agreed, had we been talking about something less, but this is my fucking life I am risking!"

"Well, maybe you should've thought about it _before_ you harassed Jaune!" growled Blake, standing up.

Cardin glared at her. "Yeah, because you all, instead, were _always by his side_ ," he spat bitterly. "I didn't see you, any of you with the exception of Rose, telling me to stop, or telling anyone to stop for the matter. One of you thought of him less than she thought of her dirty shoes, one made fun of him just because _it's friendly banter_ , another ignored him so much I've never heard her even saying a single word to him, and that's without even speaking about his team!"

Ren stood up with stormy eyes. "Do you have something to say about us, Winchester?"

The larger, even if less skilled, student gritted his teeth and scowled at him, not backing down. "Yes, I really do," he nodded, uncaring of the scalding glare Nora was giving him, nor of the murderous expression on Pyrrha's face. "Two of you simply ignored his problems, or joked about them. `We'll break his legs`... seriously? That would only get _you_ in detention and _him_ in an even worse situation than before. And the third... did you really think he would've accepted your `if you ever need help, you just need to ask`? Because it fucking sounded said in a pity-filled, holier-than-thou, better-than-you-will-ever-be fucking voice. Also, what good would it have done? None. You can't _protect_ him twenty-four-seven. Especially because that wouldn't solve the problem: it would only intensify the pranks and beatings he got whenever you weren't around!"

Nora was about to say something, but Ruby cut her off. "You're right," she said, much to everyone's shock. "You're right. It's our fault as well. But at least we didn't bully him like you did. Everyone's at fault here. Even Jaune is at fault, for having gotten in with fake transcripts, that is a crime, by the way. Here we're not talking about who's fault this mess is. We're talking about who is less at fault, and that would be us. So shut your mouth, Cardin, or I'll have to fetch Crescent Rose really quick."

The bully bristled, irritated by the smaller girl's response, but he opted instead for huffing and walking away from the seven. Six of them slowly exhaled their anger and sat back down, but Ruby remained standing. "He's right, you know?"

"Ruby, not again..." began Yang, but the girl cut her off.

"I didn't mean that. He's right: he might be the next one," stated Ruby, frowning. "The point is... I'm not so sure if I really care or not..."

"Well, cheer down, now we'll have to bear another jerk speaking," grumbled Yang, jerking her head toward the teachers' table, where a tall man had just stood up. "General Asshole Timber is gonna introduce himself to the school. That bastard..."

They all turned to look at him. He had grey hair cropped really short, and light green eyes. Despite what they thought of him, he didn't look like a bad person. He was wearing a light grey suit, not dissimilar to the one Weiss had sometimes seen General Ironwood wear.

"Greetings, students of Beacon," he began, and their illusion that maybe he wouldn't be too bad immediately shattered. His voice was strict and hard, a military tone completely at odd with the homely atmosphere of Beacon. Not even Goodwitch could freeze the mood like that. Not when she wasn't angry, at least. "I am the Valean General Ayace Timber. You will refer to me as General Timber or Headmaster Timber, or simply by my titles, if you wish. I am the new Headmaster of this Academy, after Headmaster Ozpin has been demoted to Professor."

"I wanted to inform all of you of the changes that will take place in Beacon Academy under my authority. I have here a short list of the new rules, and the rules that are gonna be severely applied from now on." He took out a Scroll and looked down at it for a moment. "You are going to respect all this rules. Failure to do so will result in detention or expulsion."

"First of all, all the students will have to adhere to Beacon's new dress code. The male students will have to wear a black suit with a white shirt and a tie of a colour of their choice among dark red, black, dark blue, dark green and grey," he announced sternly. "The female students will have to wear a black blouse with a white shirt and no tie. Black stockings are required while heels are advised against, but not forbidden. The skirt must be at least knee-long and of a colour of their choice among dark red, black, dark green, dark blue and dark grey. As alternative to stockings and skirt, all the female students will be otherwise free to wear the same outfit as the male ones. For all students, the shirt can have the top two buttons unsecured, but no more. All hats, capes, cloaks, gloves, high boots, belts, jackets, bracelets, rings, necklaces and all other types of extra clothes and/or jewellery is strictly forbidden. In case the weather makes it necessary, the students are allowed to unbutton their shirt up to three buttons down, and take off their suits' jacket or blouse, or otherwise wear a winter coat. Any transgression will be punished with detention and the removing of the forbidden items. Beacon's students are also required to wear their uniforms at all times except for the following situations: during one of the Combat Classes, in their own dormitories, or while outside the Beacon grounds. Emergencies will override this rule."

Ruby's hands gripped her cape. "No..." she mumbled as she held it close. Yang could only sigh.

"And it's gonna get worse," she commented to the others. They too nodded.

"Secondly, all Beacon Professors will be paired with a Captain from the Valean Army to help you learn from two different types of warriors, with two different opinions," continued the man, ignoring the groans from all the student body. "Unfortunately I cannot hire them as Professors, so you will have to refer to them as Captains, but they will be your professors in all but title. They will also have the power to override any declaration or order from their paired professor." This time also the teachers were outraged.

"Yeah, the next is that now we're gonna have to stand up and say `Yessir!`, isn't it?" Yang grimaced.

A student stood up and raised a hand, getting a nod in response. "Sir, Headmaster, what about Torchwick? Is he going to remain professor here or will you lock him up?". The man in question grimaced, but the General shook his head.

"Unfortunately, to do so I would need to override my predecessor's direct orders and wishes. To do so I would need a vote of mistrust, something I still do not have. As such, Professor Roman Torchwick will remain your Combat Professor until his career ends, my career ends, or Professor Ozpin gets a vote of mistrust." Several students were disappointed by that.

"The new rules will be sent to your Scroll after lunch. Yet, there is one more thing I want to mention. I now address Team RWBY and the remainders of Team VVPR. I won't waste time with the details but know that nor I nor the Council approve of what you're doing," he stated harshly. "Give up your search. The Valean Army will take over from now on. You're hereby forbidden to follow any lead you may have, instead reporting it immediately to me or one of my captains. Am i understood?"

When they didn't reply, he scowled. "Privates, AM I UNDERSTOOD?"

They nodded meekly.

/-/

"Give up our search. Is he insane?!" exclaimed Ruby as soon as Timber was out of earshot. "We're saving not just Jaune, but also many other students by doing this. He _knows_ his stupid army isn't gonna do any good to the school, doesn't he?"

"Of course he knows, but you heard Veritas. He's probably done this by himself," growled Yang, angry at both Tear and Timber. "Those two stupid assholes are thinking they can defeat Death. Ha! Humanity has been trying for thousands of years and we still die in thousands. Do they really think so high of themselves?"

"It's not how high they think of themselves, it's how low they think of us," explained Ren. "They don't trust us with the Trail, and so they're taking over, thinking that if a bunch of kids can follow it, then so can they."

"Oh, I'm sure they'll be able to follow it straight to Death like no other," sarcastically snorted Weiss, shaking her head in both disgust and slight worry at having said such a thing so lightly. "Their soldiers aren't even all that trained. Most are just robots. Only the Captains are humans, while the rest are the newest Atlasian Knights, recently acquired from Atlas. _Those_ don't stand a chance against the _sneeze_ of a Wraith."

"Should we inform them?" wondered Pyrrha, but Blake shook her head.

"No, we shouldn't," she replied, her voice a little harsh. "They know the dangers. If they want to fight them, then let's allow them to commit suicide. You can't just kill a Wraith. They aren't humans. If Timber thinks they can just fight their way through, then he's wrong and... oh my Oum..."

Everyone stopped as they turned into a corridor. Leaning against the wall there was Veritas Tear. His ribcage had been forced outwards, splattering blood all around. His hair had been ripped off and into the skull was carved the word `MONSTER`, the wound bloody and irregular. His arms seemed broken in more than a point, the fingers and elbows bent at unnatural angles. A pool of blood had formed around the corpse, who was staring off in the void with an expression of terror, eyes wide and unseeing. On the wall behind the cadaver there was yet another message.

 _ **OUR AUTHORITY HAS MADE US MONARCH  
OUR MISTRUST WILL TURN INTO BETRAYAL  
OUR WRATH IS NOW FLAMING FURY  
OUR MADNESS HAS LOST TO INSANITY  
OUR DESTINY IS NOW YOUR DOOM  
OUR LOGIC IS RULING OUR MIND  
BUT OUR HEART SHATTERED REMAINS  
IT'S TIME TO STEP UP OUR GAME**_

"Oh shit," stated Yang.

 ** _Yes, I know this message has truly zero poetry, but it wasn't meant to. It was meant to hint at something. And speaking of hints, in the next chapter we'll finally see what Death's gift is. And now I know I have you all cursing me for this. ;)_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	31. Death's Gift

**_Finally, the chapter you were all waiting for! The chapter where I finally tell you a tiny bit more about Death's gift. And... nope! You'll have to wait until the end of this chapter! No spoilers._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

"Stealth Captain Hektor Troy, Assassin Department eighteen, seventh coalition, fourth battalion. Codename: Beowolf. At your service, sir!"

Ayace Timber, General of the entire Valean Army, now Headmaster of Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses, simply nodded grimly at the soldier who had just saluted in front of him. "Relax, Captain," he commanded, and immediately the man's stance moved into a perfect `relaxed` military position, aka not a relaxed position at all, with his hands behind his back and his feet slightly apart. "Are you aware of the reason you were called?"

"Yessir!" replied the soldier, staring straight ahead as the protocol ordered. "I am to find one of the possible targets and either capture them or kill them, whichever will turn out to be the path of least resistance. The possible targets are either Jaune Soleil Arc and the Wraiths."

"Identify your targets." ordered Ayace, drinking from his mug of coffee corrected with a bit of alcohol.

"Jaune Soleil Arc. Age: seventeen. Affiliation: former student of Beacon Academy and Huntsman trainee, civilian. Current status: missing. Crime: involvement in the murders of John Arc, Jude Arc -previously Jude Silver-, Jane Ciel Arc, Joan Luna Arc, Jinn Stella Arc, Jay Rouge Arc, Jade Verity Arc, Johann Cométe Arc, Jean Amor Arc, Keaa Konis, Vero Tear and more recently Veritas Tear. Aura reserves: SSS" -Ayace spat out his alcoholic coffee- "Currently the highest Aura reserves ever recorded. Training: D. Endurance: A+. Strength: B+. Speed: C+. Threat level: D. Fighting style: sword and shield combo. No ranged weapon. Semblance: undisclosed."

"The Wraiths. Age: undisclosed. Affiliation: undisclosed. Current status: wanted. Crime: murders of John Arc, Jude Arc -previously Jude Silver-, Jane Ciel Arc, Joan Luna Arc, Jinn Stella Arc, Jay Rouge Arc, Jade Verity Arc, Johann Cométe Arc, Jean Amor Arc, Keaa Konis, Vero Tear and Veritas Tear. Aura reserves: undisclosed. Training: undisclosed. Endurance: undisclosed. Strength: undisclosed. Speed: undisclosed. Threat level: A+. Fighting style: scythe. No ranged weapon. Semblance: undisclosed."

Ayace nodded, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief. "Very well, Captain Troy," he said, frowning. "There is a change in your mission. You are to find and capture Jaune Arc, and kill the Wraiths."

The man nodded. "You're dismissed," the Headmaster waved him off. Without a word, the soldier saluted and marched out of the room. Left alone, the General sat at his desk, pensive. _'Such a large reserve of Aura...'_ he thought. _'Atlas is studying a way to transfer Aura. But what if we can manage to instead find a way to naturally increase it? This boy might hold the key to the creation of an army of nigh-invincible Huntsmen. Our scientists will find the reason for why this boy has so much of it. Then we'll have access to unlimited Aura. It might even make Vale enough powerful to force the other Kingdoms to kneel in front of us...'_ He smiled at the thought. _'Vale will reign supreme over Remnant. We will bring justice to everyone, and this time Atlas won't be able to butt in. No one will be able to oppose us when all our soldiers will have an Aura reserve of level SSS. Entire missiles will bounce off them. And even if Atlas has more Dust, technology and military might than half the rest of Remnant, it doesn't matter. We'll catch up in time, but they will never catch up with our supersoldiers.'_

He looked out of the window. "Humanity has been trying to create Super-Huntsmen since the day they were born," he stated out loud. "Capturing this boy and examining him might not be a large step, but it's the first one toward a new generation of hyper-durable warriors. Training and weaponry will come later." He frowned, turning to face his desk. _'But Atlas must never know about this. It would be the end of all of this. And especially no Huntsman must. They're as protective of their kindred ones as a mother is of her children. If I want to successfully abduct and apprehend Jaune Arc, then we must do so while hiding from everyone. We must declare him dead, or someone will try to find him.'_ He looked at his monitor and his lips thinned into a line. "It's not something I would normally do, but this is the best for my people. What's the life of one boy against the lives of literally everyone else?" He tapped his keyboard and brought up a file.

 _Jaune Soleil Arc.  
Age: 17  
Affiliation: former student of Beacon Academy and Huntsman trainee; civilian  
Status: missing  
Aura reserves: SSS  
Training: D  
Endurance: A+  
Strength: B+  
Speed: C+  
Fighting style: sword and shield combo; Crocea Mors, Arc family heirloom  
Semblance: undiscovered  
Other: wanted for involvement in murder._

Beside the lines, a picture of Jaune Arc, standing tall in his combat outfit, smiling awkwardly at the camera. Under the picture there was more information about the former student, completed with his recent expulsion and disappearance. Ayace sighed as he ran his hands on the keyboard. _'This is for the best,'_ he told himself.

 _Status: MIA  
Aura reserves: A_

He saved the file and sent it to the school's database. Without anything else to do, he grabbed his Scroll and activated the Headmaster App, that let him sent messages and notifications to the entirety of the student body without having to write thousands of messages. Any message sent from it would be automatically replicated and sent to every student in Beacon. Taking a deep breath, he began typing, but stopped at the second line. _'As much as it pains me, I can't lose control and act emotional. They must be informed like they would've been informed had he really died. My lie won't keep me from helping Remnant. With unlimited access to Aura reserves like his, we'll be able to bring our justice to everyone in the world. Darkness and crime will be crushed under our foot. But to do this, Jaune Arc must be sacrificed...'_ He composed himself and resumed typing. His finger hovered for a second over the _Send_ button. _'This is for the best,'_ he thought. _'But we must find him soon.'_

And sent the message.

/-/

Teams WBY and NPR were sharing RWBY's dorm at the moment when their Scrolls pinged. Yang sighed. "A message from the Headmaster," she stated dully. "Fuck him." She took out the Scroll and glared at the message icon before selecting it.

 _To every student of Beacon Academy: important message from Headmaster Ayace Timber._

Okay, that was the automatically added abstract that all the messages of that type contained. Evidently the school's database had already been updated with Timber's name. Yang shrugged and continued to read the text, her eyes going wide.

 _I regret to inform You that one of your peers has been found dead this evening.  
The remains of Jaune Soleil Arc, first year student, were found today at 9:43 pm in the Emerald Forest. A squad of Valean soldiers retrieved the remains and the Army's medics identified them as Mr Arc's corpse. His weapon was nowhere to be found. The precise date and hour of demise is still unknown, but the cadaver was at least two days old. The Grimm and wild animals made it impossible to recognize the student without a blood analysis.  
I ask to You all one last sign of respect for the young man who lost his life. One minute of silence to remember Jaune Arc. Remember his life, and cherish those memories, because You won't be able to live more.  
The funeral will take place in the Beacon's graveyard tomorrow at eleven am. All classes are cancelled for the day. Follow the dress code for funerals. You will have the rest of the day off. Live your life now, because as Jaune Arc discovered to his own expenses, Life is not eternal.  
My deepest condolences, Ayace Timber._

The Scroll slipped from her fingers and crashed on the ground, the holographic screen flickering and automatically shutting off. Before the glow could even disappear, her knees hit the ground, immediately followed by the first tears. Then Yang Xiao Long, one of the emotionally strongest people they had ever known, did something that shook them no less than the message itself.

She began to scream.

/-/

"Cardin? Cardin, what's up?" Russel asked his team leader, trying to shake him out of his stupor. His Scroll clattered to the ground, but the large teen stood unmoving, his eyes staring off in the void, a horrified expression on his face.

"It's my fault..." he murmured, his eyes full of shock and fright as well as disgust for himself. "I caused this... I am a murderer... It's my fault..."

Sky frowned and picked up his Scroll, reading its content out loud. He didn't go far. Russel released Cardin in shock, and the four boys looked at each other with wide eyes.

 _The remains of Jaune Soleil Arc, first year student, were found today at 9:43 pm in the Emerald Forest._

Cardin's legs gave away.

/-/

Professor Ozpin stared out of the window, still as a statue as just as solemn. But his eyes betrayed his true emotions and thoughts. Despite being one of the most enigmatic people around, Ozpin had his own weaknesses. The message on his Scroll had just struck one of those weaknesses.

 _Jaune Arc has been found dead. The funeral will be tomorrow. You will be there. Headmaster Timber._

A single silvery tear flowed out of his right eye. After all the pain and effort they had put in the Trail of Blood, Jaune was now dead. The tear slipped down his cheek and dropped in the air, for a second shining and sparkling with infinite colours in the dying light of the sunset, as bright as their hopes had been.

And then it shattered.

/-/

 _'It's not real. It can't be real.'_

Ruby Rose sat in silence at the temple's ruins, waiting for Death. But now it didn't matter any more. Her Scroll laid beside her, forgotten and abandoned, the horrifying message still on the screen.

 _The remains of Jaune Soleil Arc, first year student, were found today at 9:43 pm in the Emerald Forest. A squad of Valean soldiers retrieved the remains and the Army's medics identified them as Mr Arc's corpse. His weapon was nowhere to be found. The precise date and hour of demise is still unknown, but the cadaver was at least two days old. The Grimm and wild animals made it impossible to recognize the student without a blood analysis.  
I ask to You all one last sign of respect for the young man who lost his life. One minute of silence to remember Jaune Arc. Remember his life, and cherish those memories, because You won't be able to live more._

"It can't be possible. It can't be real," she cried in her knees, huddled with her legs pressed to her chest and her arms around them, her face kept low and hidden. But there was no mistaking the broken tone of her voice, nor the sniffles and whimpers that shook her figure. "He can't be dead. Not now. Not after everything we've been through to find him. H-He can't be dead..."

 _Remember his life, and cherish those memories, because you won't be able to live more._

"He c-can't be dead... H-How could h-he? H-He can't..." she sobbed quietly, all her energy having left her, so much that she couldn't even scream. She just wanted to crawl in a corner and wait until the darkness of the world had gone away. "No... h-he c-can't... you promised... DEATH, YOU PROMISED ME!" she finally screamed, hugging herself tighter. "WHAT WAS THE POINT OF ALL THIS IF HE WAS DEAD?! WHY DIDN'T YOU PROTECT HIM! YOU PROMISED ME! WHY DID YOU BREAK YOUR PROMISE!? DEATH, YOU PROMISED ME!"

 _Because you won't be able to live more._

He was dead. Gone.

 _Forever_.

"JAAAAAAUUUUNEEEEEE!" Ruby screamed in anguish, her eyes lighting up with silver. The Emerald Forest was lit by a silver flash, Grimm crying out in pain and fear, before everything went dark again. She collapsed and lost consciousness.

She didn't hear the approaching footsteps.

/-/

Ozpin's mug crashed to the ground as soon as the silver flash was seen in the forest. The former Headmaster ran at the door, finding it locked, and simply demolished it with a shove. His eyes were wild as he tried to run as fast as he could, hoping against all hopes that he would still be on time, that he could still do it, that Ruby Rose wouldn't die that night.

Even if he knew he would never reach her before the Grimm.

/-/

Ruby came to slowly.

Someone, or something, was shaking her. She didn't feel pain, but that was probably due to her confused mind. She found herself staring in the red eyes of a Grimm as soon as she opened her eyes, catching the Ursa Major as it continue to bit into her chest. Her Aura was protecting her, but she could feel it already close to shattering. It had probably taken her a short while of being shaken and bitten to wake up. With all the strength she could muster, she punched the beast's nose, just strong enough to make it release its hold on her. She fell to the ground, her Aura almost shattering right then and there. Groaning, she looked up, eyes widening slightly as she saw the large beast raising a paw to strike her down. She knew her Aura wouldn't resist such a blow and she closed her eyes.

"Taking it out on the smaller ones, aren't you? Why don't you try to fight someone more your size?"

Her eyes shot open again just in time to catch the sight of the Ursa's head being _ripped off_ its neck and tossed to the side. As the huge body began crumpling into Grimm Essence vapour, she finally saw her saviour. He was exactly like last time she had seen him. Slightly torn blue jeans, two belts criss-crossing his waist, brown boots, a black hoodie with his chestplate covering it, gloves and armguards. His blond hair was slightly longer than last time, since he hadn't cut it in a while, now reaching his shoulders, its bangs half-covering his ocean blue eyes.

Jaune Arc smiled down at her.

 ** _So..._**

 ** _Ruby unlocked her Silver Eyes Deux Ex Machina... ehm, Silver Eyes Power. If she did it because of Pyrrha's death, then she can do it because she thought Jaune dead. I particularly liked coming up with the sentence "Death, you promised me." It's not that I want her to suffer, but I'm proud of how it came out._**

 ** _And yes, Death's gift is Jaune. Both a gift, because she can spend some time with him, and a curse, because she will need to leave him again... We shall see that in the next chapter._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	32. Daydreaming at Night

**_Heya guys! Here is your chapter! I wanted to drag out the wait, to make you all suffer for DAYS before finally giving you your Lancaster moment, but then I thought: would I have liked it if one of the authors I'm following were to do the same? Nope! So here's your chapter. As for the people who can handle horrible gore and graphically detailed murders but can't handle two people having a roll in the hay, then skip the part after Ozpin is mentioned. Jump directly to the next text block. Text blocks' borders are signalled by the symbol_** /-/ **_okay?_**

 ** _Perfect!_**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

Ruby couldn't believe her own eyes.

And yet there he stood, looking as if nothing had happened. No, that was untrue. The facade he used to wear had finally shattered and now Ruby could see the true Jaune in those eyes. Before the Trail, she would've described his eyes like the sky on a sunny day or like the waters of a deep lake. But she should've known that she could only see the surface of lakes and oceans. Now she looked into dark currents of troubled sea, bitterness and pain mixing with lighter emotions like happiness at seeing her and warmth. His hair was now longer, likely not having been cut in a while, and partially covered the stormy oceans of his eyes.

Gone was the light-hearted knight she had always seen walking at Beacon. Now his eyes showed the true extend of his title: born from a drunken night between former teammates, born in a family of Heroes, and grown first by Heroes, then by an Assassin and finally by a Criminal. All those titles had changed him and morphed him, turning him into what she could now see.

Not a Hero. Not an Assassin. Not a Criminal. But a Knight, one that had seen the darkness and fought against it.

"J-Jaune?" her voice cracked as she spoke, too many emotions to count swirling in her mind and chest. It felt so much time since she had last seen him. His disappearance, the Trail, the Wraiths, the deaths of Vero and his father, the revelations of his past... all the pain she had gone through since he had been expelled returned with a vengeance, her small frame shaking for a second before breaking into a sob, her lithe shoulders quaking as tears began to fall from her eyes.

Two lean arms wrapped around her, and as she looked up with tear-stained cheeks she was met with a sad smile from the boy she held feelings for. Despite the pain, her stomach closed up at the utmost closeness. He pressed her against his frame, offering her the little bit of comfort he could give her. "I... I t-thought you d-died..." she cried into his hoodie. A hoodie that, now that she noticed, looked like it had seen better days.

Jaune seemed to frown at that, his golden eyebrows scrunching together. "What?" he asked, clearly confused. "Why did you think I was dead?"

Ruby looked at the abandoned Scroll on the ground. The tears were still coming, but now confusion was working its way into her mind. _Why_ did she think he was dead? Because his remains had been found in the Emerald Forest. But then, _how_ could he be there if he was dead? Did Death resurrect him to keep her promise?

Jaune followed her gaze and frowned. Removing a hand from her waist -something she immediately missed-, he grabbed Crescent Rose and deployed it, using the blade to flick the Scroll up for him to catch. He collapsed the scythe again and looked at the Scroll, his frown turning into a scowl.

Ruby would've taken a step back, hadn't she been embraced by him.

His scowl was terrifying. Flashes of fury and hatred passed in his eyes as they turned from troubled waters into stormy oceans torn by thunders and lighting. The sheer killing intent in his eyes was frightening. His body didn't tense, but his mouth shut close, lips thinning in anger. His eyes narrowed into horizontal slits, burning so bright with unbound rage she was sure it was going to spill out.

Then everything seemed to just freeze and shatter.

The anger left his eyes and he relaxed, closing the Scroll with a small smirk and slipping it into Ruby's skirt pocket. Turning back to look at her, he smiled at her surprised expression. "Let's just say that your new Headmaster has made a mistake," he told her. "I'm alive and... surprisingly well, I must say."

Ruby searched his face for a lie, but there wasn't any. "A-And the Wraiths?"

Jaune smiled sadly. "They didn't do anything bad to me," he said, and then grinned. "But they did tell me one thing..."

Before Ruby could ask him what, he tilted her head just upwards enough for her lips to meet his. Her mind unsuccessfully tried to process what the hell was happening, but thankfully her body reacted far better and far more logically than her mind. Her arms came up to hook around his neck, that despite being an incredible cliché was also logical given her shorter stature. She was highly inexperienced in kissing but Yang had given her quite a bit of advice. About kissing, about boys, and about sex. She wondered if she could need that third advice so soon. _'If I have any say in it... yes.'_

The kiss itself was not how she had expected it. There weren't any firework nor earth-shaking pleasure like she had heard from other people. He tasted like the breeze during a rainy day on the ocean, rain and wind mixing to create a unique flavour only she could taste, and no one else. Kissing Jaune was like being immersed in warm but at the same time refreshing water, embraced by a calm but powerful ocean. There were no fireworks, only her and Jaune lost in the endless ocean of his eyes.

As they separated for air, her mouth moved before her mind actually had any say in it, speaking on the behalf of her body and subconscious. "I want to go all the way," she breathed on his lips, his eyes widening in shock before a slight smirk came to his lips.

"Me too."

/-/

Ozpin had almost given up his search when he heard the first moan. He froze, fearing it could be a moan of pain, but when another followed, he could not deny the truth: Ms Rose was currently engaged in an erotic activity, be it actual copulation or masturbation.

"Ah! Jaune!"

For the first time in years, the elderly Professor felt the blood rush to his cheeks as he fled the area.

 _'Oh, well, I didn't see any Grimm, maybe she killed them all before starting... enjoying herself'_.

/-/

Ruby never knew her breasts could be so sensitive.

And yet, as Jaune's right hand groped her breast and pinched her nipple, she couldn't stop a couple of moans from clawing their way out of her throat. His breathing had gotten deeper as well, even though it was nowhere near the level she was at. His left hand had progressively slipped lower, caressing her now naked stomach before stopping between her legs. She hadn't needed to urge him on, since he only waited for a second before his hand touched her.

She could admit it without any shame: she really didn't expect it to feel so good.

She had obviously touched herself before, and recently while thinking of a certain blond as well, but knowing that _he_ was the one to be doing it... well, it surely did interesting things to her body. Given his lack of experience, he was doing a good job. Apparently, at least one of the two had studied Human Anatomy. His thumb had slowly worked its way to her clitoris, now rubbing it in small circles, time and again flicking it slightly, while two of his fingers were getting familiar with the inside of her warmth.

Of course, she wasn't one to remain idle. While she herself had zero experience and all what she knew what was Yang told her, what Yang told her turned out to be quite the detailed description of how to masturbate a member of the other gender. Her left hand moved with enough confidence to appear used to the act as it stroked his member slowly. Another thing Yang had told her was that men would _fold_ if hit there, so she was being extra careful. Her `free` hand was instead keeping Jaune's face pressed against the side of her neck, where a line of hickeys were already starting to show, gripping his hair to avoid him to pull back.

A slightly more painful bite caused her to loosen her hold on his hair for a second, and his mouth immediately moved from her neck to her lips, again drowning her in a sea where she and Jaune were alone and undisturbed. As he pulled away, his hands stopped their pleasing works and she whined as the pleasure lessened. "Jaune..." she called him, but he smiled.

"Didn't you say you wanted to go all the way?" he asked her, his hands moving to her waist and turning her around so that her chest was now pressed against his. Fortunately her left hand had released his member when he had turned her, and had thus spared him from a possibly very painful accident. "Because I don't think what we were doing was going all the way."

Ruby bit her lip as he waited for her permission. She perfectly knew of the chance of pregnancy, even if she knew that she could take a pill the day after... or was it later that day? Anyway, there wasn't a real problem with that. Was she ready? Most probably. Yang wouldn't be able to interrupt, even if the sky seemed to be kinda clouding over. Did she wanted it?

Oh Dust, yes.

"Let's do it," she said confidently. Well, as confidently as she could during her first time. To her credit Jaune, despite his seemingly bold words, was shaking and not for the cold. As his tip touched her slit, she nodded once more in permission and agreement.

Being filled by her lover was a strange experience. Sure, there were some slight twinges of pain, but her Aura was taking care of most of it. She knew that girls without Aura rarely enjoyed their first time due to the loosening of their vaginas, and that was painful. She would've never guessed Aura would've helped her even during sex.

It was also pleasant, she realized as he finally stopped. Be it because of their different body sizes, because of gifted endowment on his part or simply because it was meant to, his member felt bigger inside her than it looked. It was also shaking just like the rest of Jaune's body. Evidently, despite going along with it, the boy was more scared by the act than she was.

She almost laughed. There they were, two socially awkward teenagers, both nervous for their first time, and yet about to have a roll in the hay in an abandoned temple. The situation would've been funny...

He began to pull out before thrusting back in.

...hadn't it been so damn pleasant. Ruby knew that sex was supposed to feel good, but only now she could understand why adults joked about, kept bringing up and overall spoke about it all the time. She had always been annoyed at them because every four sentences there was a sex innuendo, sex reference or just a sex joke. Now she could understand why, even if she didn't agree on it. It was _great!_

Her arms slithered back around his neck and brought him closer, sealing the deal with a searing kiss on his lips. His own arms went behind her, one resting on the small of her back and the other just below her nape, between her shoulder blades. As their lips moved and their tongues met -with a large amount of uncertainty as well as saliva-, shivering as they touched each others, their bodies moving in time but with opposite directions. Ruby would've said that his member was kissing her womb, but the actual action was nowhere near the slow gentleness of a kiss.

Being the two already aroused teenagers they were, it didn't take long before Ruby crashed her lips onto his to smother a moan loud enough to borderline scream. The increase in stimulation he was getting was getting hard to ignore, but he managed to fight off the urge to just climax right then and there until Ruby herself was coming down from her own. Her eyes shot open as she felt hot jets of what she perfectly knew was his semen filling her womb. While it didn't bring pleasure by itself, she relished in the thought of having just consumed her relationship with Jaune. Not just that. She had confirmed her relationship, given her first kiss to Jaune and then even had a roll in the hay with him.

/-/

They stayed like that for a little while longer before Jaune suggested dressing up again, since the night was becoming really cold.

"You must be getting cold with just that old hoodie and jeans..." noted Ruby as he shivered slightly.

He gave her a wan smile. "Don't worry about it. I've got more clothes. It's just that most of them are some darker versions of badass outfits, and I wanted you to recognize me."

Ruby giggled and gave him a light kiss on the nose. The two of them, despite still smelling of sex, blushed red at the simple show of affection. _That_ was surely going to be written in her diary. "Do you want me to bring you a few changes of clothes?" she asked, now serious and worrying for him. He just shrugged.

"It's not a problem, really. But if you must, please not something Ren would wear." He grimaced. "Or Cardin. Or Draak. Now that I think of it, ask a girl for advice. I'd be better off with _Yang's_ clothes than with, for example, _Ren's_. He looks good in it, but it simply wouldn't suit me."

"Should I be worried my b-boyfriend thinks another boy looks good?" teased Ruby, but it was ruined when she faltered on the word. She could _finally_ say it!

Jaune chuckled. "No, you shouldn't. If anything, _I_ should worry about _Nora_ if I ever let my mind wander like that," he replied before smiling at her. "But besides Nora's death threats, why should I? I have the most beautiful rose here by my side tonight..."

Ruby smiled before looking down. "But you will have to go at dawn..." she remembered, and she almost began to cry right then and there. His hand found her chin and he made look at him. His eyes were serious as he looked at her.

"Ruby, do you want me to come back?" he asked, and she almost slapped him for the idiotic question.

"Of course I do!" she exclaimed. "Why... why would you... even _think_ I..."

"Then," he interrupted her. "Just continue with the Trail. It will lead to me. But it is necessary. I'm sure it has been a horrid period for you, it also eyes-opening. It's being the same for me. You, me, the others... we _all_ need to go through this until the very end. But if you're worried you will lose me..." He took her hand and slipped something around her ring finger. "I will _always_ find my way back to you. And an Arc never goes back on his word."

Ruby smiled at him, a sad smile with teary cheeks, but a smile nonetheless. And just as she began leaning in, trying to steal one more kiss from the boy... from the _man_ she had come to love, and to who she had given herself that night, a voice rang out.

"Jaune Soleil Arc, freeze! You're under arrest for your involvement in the murders of..."

She didn't even hear the rest as Jaune seemed to vanish from before her, flipping back and landing on his hand, only to flip again and disappear behind some rubble. Her eyes turned back to the source of the point, finding three people standing there.

One was a tall man with silver hair and brown eyes. He wore grey, opaque glasses and had a mug of coffee in his hand, the other holding a black cane with a steel handle. The man was wearing a winter coat over his usual dark green suit and grey scarf. His eyes were wide and shocked-open as he stared at her, or rather at the spot where Jaune had been seconds before.

Beside him stood a man she didn't recognize. He was taller than her yet shorter than, for example, Yang, or Pyrrha. He had very short black hair and pale brown eyes, with no glasses but with a pair of nightvision goggles. In his hands there was a large assault rifle, a Cyberprocessing-Aim Bio-Ammo Assault Rifle Mark VI, often shortened into CABAAR6, a rifle capable of transforming into a sniper rifle equipped for the housing of Aura piercing rounds.

The last man was taller than Ozpin, his greyish hair cropped short and his pale green eyes regarding her with doubt and suspiciousness. He was wearing a black suit with silver accents, several badges on his lapel. He had a large minigun deployed, just slightly smaller than Coco's Gatling gun, the barrels already spinning, ready to shoot everything into pieces. Ruby recognized it as a Vulcano M438 modified to house Aura piercing rounds. That gun was something not even she would've wanted to go up against.

"He's getting away!" exclaimed the middle man, charging forwards. "Damn you, girl! Hadn't you been there, I would've shot his brains out!"

Ruby felt a flash of fury as she turned to the man, but Ozpin preceded her, putting a hand on her shoulder as both the new Headmaster and his henchman tried to follow Jaune... with barely any success. She took a deep breath before turning to face Ozpin. There was something she needed to ask him, because she really couldn't ask it to anyone of her friends. He might judge her, but at least he would keep the secret and not tease her about it. Nor he would murder Jaune.

"Professor Ozpin, on a subject completely unrelated to what I did with Jaune earlier, do you know where I could buy some pills against pregnancy? The ones taken after... it?"

Ozpin spat out his coffee in shock.

 ** _This chapter was more comedy than anything. And before anyone says anything: no, I am a little kid and I'm not comfotable with using swear words while describing a sex scene. Also, sex scenes are incredibly BORING, so I added a little bit of humor to it. Don't worry, we'll be back to the dark, oppressive story you've all come to love in the next chapter. Really filled you with hope, haven't I? Well, hope is better than what Ruby got filled with._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	33. And Back on Trail

**_Heya guys! Sorry it took so long, but I needed to make this dark enough. ;) Also, this chapter got rewritten twice._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

Ruby took a deep breath.

Thanks to Ozpin, she had not only managed to get a pill, even if the Headmaster's face when he had handed it to her had been priceless, but also to get a quick shower in Beacon's public showers. She had been informed that her team and Team NPR had already fallen asleep. Now she felt guilty. She had been so focused on her moment with Jaune that she had never thought to send them a message. They must've been worried sick, and absolutely _destroyed_ by the false news of Jaune's death.

Trying to calm herself down, she touched her ring finger, where there still was what Jaune had given her.

It was a beautiful golden ring with seven tiny gems encased in it. The third and the last were rubies, gems of passion and love, and she giggled lightly at the irony of being wearing herself. The second was obsidian, a stone that helped making choices, and could both attract and repel negativity. The first was a fire opal, a gem that balanced the seven centres of energy in the body. The fourth and sixth stones were emeralds, gems of imagination, love, protection and fertility. And the fifth was violane, a purple variety of diopside, a gem usually green enough to rival the emerald.

Fire opal. Obsidian. Ruby. Emerald. Violane. Emerald. Ruby.

F... O... R... E... V... E... R...

Forever.

He would forever be hers.

She smiled and steeled herself before opening the door of her dorm.

It was a mess.

Yang and Blake were sleeping curled up together on Blake's bed, the blankets thrown awkwardly over them. Yang's face was a mess of dried tears and nasal mucus from the long cry. Blake was faring slightly better, having only the tear stains. Weiss was on her bed, turning in a troubled sleep. Nora and Ren were sleeping on Yang's bed, hugging each other, but neither of their expressions was relaxed.

Pyrrha was still awake.

The normally impeccable champion was now as far as possible from her usual flawless composure and spotless clothes. She was wearing one of Jaune's old hoodies, one he gave her because she had forgotten her coat the day the went to Vale. The sleeves were too long, hiding her hands from sight, even though the chest part was a little tight. Tears had dried and then flown again only to dry once more. Her eyes were now dull and seemingly lifeless. They regained a tiny spark when Ruby entered the room, but that spark died quickly as she realized she would have to tell her about Jaune's death.

Fortunately, she didn't have to.

"Pyrrha, help me wake up the others," Ruby told her, her voice leaving no space for protests. "There is something I need to tell you all. And no, it isn't about the message Timber sent us."

Pyrrha looked at her confused. She was right to be confused. Ruby had probably been the closest of them to Jaune, and yet she didn't seem to have cried for the message. It was strange to say the least. Nonetheless, she nodded and began waking up the others, following the orders of who could easily be called their unofficial team leader.

It wasn't a surprise when all of them confirmed to have had nightmares. Pyrrha herself hadn't even tried to sleep because she feared what she would see. But now Ruby had to come to the hardest part of her whole mission. She had to tell them she had seen Jaune, innocently skip the details of what they did, and tell them he was still very much alive.

She began with a "Jaune's alive."

The statement didn't cause nearly as much chaos as she thought it would. All of them simply blinked and frowned, Yang even reaching for her Scroll, probably steeling herself to break the news to her little sister. She didn't have to.

"I know of Timber's message, but Jaune is alive," she repeated, stopping Yang dead in her tracks. "Timber made a mistake, or simply wanted us to give up the Trail and thought this would stop or break us. It surely would've, but I can prove you Jaune is alive."

Yang blinked, leftover tears still present in her eyes. "W-What? H-How...?"

Ruby blushed and tried to avoid the exact _what_ they did and _how_. "After Death killed Vero, she spoke to me, and said to go to the ruins yesterday at midnight. Almost three hours ago," she explained. "And when I went... well, something happened, I don't really remember, but when I woke up, my Aura was basically gone and an Ursa Major was chewing on me."

The others gasped, and Yang interrupted her to check if she was alright. Ruby managed to push her off before she could discover too much, and continued. "But before it could kill me, Jaune arrived and saved me. I was right, he was holding back in Beacon, because he had no more problem than Yang in killing Grimm." She smiled as she recalled how her knight had saved her. Not like she was some princess in need of help... well, she had been in need of help, but still it had been nice to be saved by him like in her fairytales... Or in Blake's books, given what they had done shortly afterwards. "We talked, and then he _kissed_ me!"

She was smiling so wide now that she feared it would split her head in two. The others were simply looking at her in shock, not quite processing the news that Jaune was still alive, was able to easily defeat an Ursa Major, and had kissed Ruby.

The girl continued, almost enthusiastically now. "I have the hickeys to prove it!" she exclaimed, pulling her collar on the side to show the bright red marks on her pale skin. Yang's and Pyrrha's jaws dropped. "And he also gave me an engagement ring!" she finished, holding up her hand and showing them the pales obviously expensive golden band and the overly expensive gems.

This time, everyone's jaws dropped. A ring like that wasn't something out of their reach, that much they knew. But until a couple of weeks earlier, they would've thought it definitely out of reach for Jaune. Now that they knew he was Torchwick's adopted son, they could guess from where the money had come from.

Yang took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, I think I'm speaking on the behalf of everyone here," she stated, looking at Ruby inquisitively. "Tell us everything, sis, and from the start."

Ruby blushed. "E-Everything?"

Yang nodded again. "It's too important to leave details out," she said. "Everything."

/-/

Ayace Timber was _not_ a man who could be easily intimidated.

He was the Valean General, a title he fully deserved for all the successful missions and decisions he had taken during his twenty-five years long career in the military. He had received direct praise from General James Ironwood, the Atlasian General and Headmaster of Atlas, considered the most successful and powerful General of all Remnant. He had faced types of Grimm the students didn't even know about. He had personally cleared out a White Fang outpost, leading his platoon better than many others had, and conquered the Faunus.

Now, he was terrified.

Professor Medeis Ozpin was pacing back and forth in his office, his usual mug of coffee now absent. But while his steps were, if not calm, at least measured, his eyes weren't. Fury, disgust, disapproval, judgement and authority were flashing in the older man's eyes, and he had taken refuge behind the huge pinewood desk he had purchased to replace Ozpin's glass desk. Despite everything he had faced, Ayace knew this time he had made a mistake, and he knew there was nothing he could do about it now.

Medeis Chrono Ozpin wasn't a man with an unmerited reputation. He was probably the strongest Huntsman in Vale, and among the strongest in Remnant. His wisdom was far beyond his age, and he seemed to be able to read people to their very cores, stripping them naked of all their lies and decoys. His ability with the cane was next to legendary, and so was he. He had successfully completed all the missions he had been given all thorough his career, and the sheer amount of missions he'd been on eclipsed the ones of most Huntsman. His Semblance was recorded as one of the most powerful Semblances ever recorded, able to stop time for a very brief moment, barely more than five or six seconds even after the inhuman training he had went through to sharpen his skills.

Needless to say, Ayace was utterly terrified by that man.

Around thirty years before, Ayace was still a young Huntsman in training with his team and his friends, and of course his idol. Now, at the veteran age of fifty-two, the man was sitting across his former idol, one of the most powerful men in all history of Remnant, and he was the source and target of his mounting rage. He wisely chose to remain silent and, for once, let things happen without trying to butt in, because he knew that something would break, and Ozpin wouldn't be the one.

"Let me get this straight," he eventually said, turning to face Ayace with eyes that would've scared even the ocean. "You thought it a good idea to announce Jaune Arc dead, and then sent a hitman after the Wraiths in the hope it would be enough?!"

Ayace gulped but didn't back down. He needed to hold up his side of the story, no matter how accurately refined and phony it was. "Ozpin, hear me out," he said, trying to calm the man as well as distract him from a dangerous subject. "The boy's as good as dead in the hands of the Wraiths, whoever they might be. They killed Vero Tear, a student who was far stronger than Mr Arc. Mr Arc's combat scores were the lowest I've ever seen in a student of a combat Academy... even if I'll admit I haven't seen many." Ayace bit his lip, trying to keep it from shaking. "But even if Mr Arc is gone, Team RWBY and the remainder of Team VVPR are not. I am not going to lose seven more students by letting them on a wild goose chase that, if I'm not wrong, last time brought you even outside Beacon. Furthermore, these Wraiths killed Keaa Konis, a certified assassin and thus not an easy target."

Ozpin's eyes were narrowed, but he allowed the General to continue speaking.

"Those students are almost certain to get themselves killed, and this is not going to happen in _my_ school," he stated, knowing fully well just how fake what he was saying was. Beacon was a school for Huntsmen: if they weren't able to handle themselves, Timber had no problem in letting them die or be injured. But he couldn't tell that to Ozpin. "I did it because it would've been the best course of action to permanently stop them from going after the Wraiths. And while I'm deeply sorry for the trauma my action caused, they are Huntsmen and Huntresses in training, Ozpin: they will encounter trauma during their careers. Better do so within the safe halls of Beacon than out there. I suggest we keep up the decoy and pretend Mr Arc is truly dead."

Ozpin's mouth twisted into a snarl.

"Ozpin, please, listen to me. Ms Rose is in the know, but the others still aren't. We might have to put up with her attempts to chase the Wraiths, but at least the others will let go of this madness," he explained. "Mr Arc had no remaining family nor relatives. We wouldn't even need to drag the law or the government in this. It's for the best..."

"Of everyone, or yours, General?" snarled the former Headmaster, standing tall over the sitting man. "Do you even know the extent of the pain and misery a single message caused? Six students in tears, other four drowned in guilt, many more shocked or horrified, our Combat Instructors Ms Goodwitch and Mr Torchwick both turned into screaming furies, each destroying a different arena, Peter and Bartholomew feeling _sick_ and these are just to mention a few. Mr Torchwick has a daughter, she's currently in the Arena 8, venting off her pain on some droids. Mr Arc was like a brother to her, and now she thinks he's gone."

Ayace sighed. "Listen, I know this is painful, but..."

Ozpin slammed a hand on the desk, splintering the wood and breaking it in two before a now shocked Timber. "No," he said, his voice cold as ice and hard as stone. "Your lie is over. If you don't tell everyone the truth within _today_ , I will be forced to ask for a vote of mistrust and regain my rightful position _by force_. Don't test me, Timber, because you know I can and I will do it if you don't do as I said."

Ozpin removed his hand from the remains of the desk and stood upright. "I bid you a good night, sir," he farewelled before exiting the room.

/-/

Neo felt furious.

The petite assassin stood in the middle of a carnage of droids, mechanical limbs and heads torn from their bodies and thrown across the room. While she normally preferred to take out her targets quickly and without causing a mess, this time it had been different. It hadn't been a moment of cold focus and precision, but rather a moment of blurry tears and sloppy strikes, aiming more to the void she felt in her chest than at the droids.

But now that the General had confuted the statement about Jaune's death...

Now she felt utterly furious. She had lived with Roman all her life, and she perfectly knew how to spot a lie. The Headmaster had called off the funeral, saying that apparently, the remains belonged to a civilian got lost in the Emerald Forest, but Neo could see the lie for what it was.

The Headmaster had played with her heart and her family, and he wouldn't come out unscathed from the consequences of his actions. Neo loved Jaune even more than she loved her father, trying to get him to stop keeping up his facade and start trying to cure the trauma she _knew_ he hid from everyone. To her, he was her precious brother who would never treat her differently because of what she did or what she was. He had learned to understand her even when she didn't use hand signs or her Scroll. Small signs like glances, her stance, the tension in her shoulders, the way her eyes moved... a skill he had improved during the years and that only two people in the world had. Him and her father, Roman Torchwick.

She tensed as she felt footsteps coming up behind her. Her blade still sheathed in her umbrella, she turned around, only to narrow her eyes at the figure standing a few feet away.

Far taller than herself, with a black cloak hugging her frame and a cracked bloody mask, stood a Wraith. She knew of them, and even if at the moment her rage wasn't directed at them, she smirked as she saw an opportunity to vent more. Before she could move, though, the Wraith chuckled, a sound that sent shivers running down her spine. It was a cold and cruel sound, too similar to her own. She was scared of herself, she hated what she was, and hearing her own laughter from the intimidating figure made her freeze.

"Always the fighter, Neo Torchwick..." said the figure, stepping forwards. She looked around, her eyes meeting her father's, from the other end of the Arena. Roman nodded and walked up to her until he was standing between her and the Wraith. "And you, Roman... you are still skilled, I see."

"What do you want?" the former thief, now professor gritted out.

The figure laughed again. "I'm not here to cause you any harm," she said with mirth still present in her voice. "I came to ask you a favour."

Roman scowled. "From the capturers of my son?" he snarled. " _Never_."

The Wraith shook his head. "I can assure you, Jaune Arc is as fine as he could ever be," she reassured them. "And that is something I can't say he was when he was still in Beacon. You can ask Ruby Rose if you want confirmation: she knows. But no, I didn't come here to speak of him."

Neo's eyes narrowed as she moved slightly to stand behind Roman, so to be hidden from sight in case she had to use her Semblance.

"Instead, I wanted to speak of your dear Headmaster Timber," continued the Wraith. "And, to be precise, of his punishment for his horrible lie."

Both Roman and Neo stilled before the small killer stepped back in sight, wearing a tiny cruel smirk. Roman wasn't as gleeful, but for now he guessed he could work with the Wraiths if that would let him get revenge. And, with a little bit of luck, discovering his adopted son's location. "You know our names, Wraith. What's yours?"

The Wraith chuckled again, this time more warmly and mirthful than cold and cruel. She looked up to the Beacon Tower, the bright green light always lit upon Beacon, and at the office held within. The office of the Headmaster. Under the mask, she smirked.

"Vendetta."

 ** _Finally a new player!_**

 ** _So, I know that the last message from the Wraiths wasn't all that useful for you all, and thus I decided to tell you all when there will be the next message. Chapter 42: The Death of a Wizard._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	34. Improvement

**_I've got nothing to say except: read the footnote. I don't know if you always read it or not, but this time do read it please._**

 ** _So! This is the first chapter of the eight that will make up the Arc "The Weapons and the Hunt". You can guess what it will be about. The first chapter won't speak about the Hunt but just the Wraiths._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

With a sigh, the figure finally sat down on his chair to look at his handwork.

Previously the scythe he wielded could only be used as a scythe. But now? Now that Monarch himself had laid his hands on the blueprints of Eclipsim and modified them? Now it was far more than just a scythe. He had already resolved to give it to Doom for him to test it in the Emerald Forest, and he was currently basking in the pride of the successful modifications he had made to the blueprints. Soon all the Wraiths would be able to fight with mechashifting weaponry. The blueprints of Eclipsim Mark III laid orderly before him, a few sheets for each weapon mode. He had taken some time to name all the different transformations.

There was the Faucheur, simply a reinforced and improved version of the previous scythe. Its staff was dark silver, almost black, but it would sparkle in the sunlight. The blade as well was now silvering, but the weapon still preserved the bloodstains that had marked it before the reforging. It wasn't the same blood, of course, even if it came from Jaune Arc nonetheless.

Then there was the Buteur. The blade of the scythe would split in two, turning into two equally long and wide but twice as thin as the initial blade. The staff would retract into the handle and the second blade would move on the other end of the hilt, thus creating the structure for the bow. A tiny sliver of Aura would be enough to connect the tips with a string of Aura and forge the explosive arrows the bow used.

After designing Buteur, Monarch decided to add a sword mode to the weapon blueprints. But since he couldn't force himself to decide between the three designs, he simply implemented all three of them. There was Lame, where the blades were fused together like in the Faucheur mode, but there was no staff. Then there was Griffe, where the two blades were on the same end of the handle but facing in with the jagged sides. And finally Éviscérateur, where the two blades were connected by the unserrated side, useful for anchoring flesh and eviscerating victims. Monarch shook his head. He wouldn't let Insanity and Torment influence him just as he could finally gloat.

The last design was Éventreur. Its basic design was similar to Éviscérateur's, but it the staff was fully extended, transforming it into a twisted and cruel variant of a long spear. With complex Dust circuits, Monarch had been able to add an Aura trigger to the mode, allowing it to open and close the `claw` with just a sliver of Aura, enabling the wielder to trap their opponents between the jagged blades. Éventreur also had a second mode, more similar to Griffe's shape. Overall, its second mode's appearance was the one of a jagged pike. Monarch grinned. The upgrades Mind had suggested and drawn the blueprints for had been works of genius, but it had been _his_ hands that had given shape to those upgrades and designed the blueprints of what he liked to call Eclipsim Mark III

Eclipsim Mark I had been the weapon Jaune Arc had designed for a prank and nothing more.

Eclipsim Mark II had been designed by Logic and built by Hatred to fight for the Trail.

And now Eclipsim Mark III had just been finished. Monarch was incredibly proud of his work as he looked at the blueprints. Measurements, numbers, lines, geometrical shapes, notes and checked out steps to follow shone weakly in the dancing light of the fire. "It's time for Doom to test our new creation," he said with expectation. "And I can't wait for it to shine in combat."

His hand caressed his weapon. "Don't worry, Regno, soon we will conquer everything and everyone standing in the path of the Trail of Blood," he purred as if to reassure the instrument of death. His hand stilled and closed into a fist. "But after Doom confirms the effectiveness of Mind's upgrades, we will need to observe _them_. They've been acting in these last days. Since Death's last message and the Night at the Ruins, they've been busy forging." A smile spread over his lips, his teeth white in the light, his mask for once not on his face but forgotten on the table. "But this is a work for Betrayal, not for me," he chuckled. "And I'm sure Betrayal will absolutely love to find out what they're up to." His eyes narrowed. "I just hope Death will act soon. To win this battle, we can't let them be prepared. Logic taught me such."

Just as suddenly as he tensed, he relaxed. "Enough worries. Let's see if my creation is worth the name of Regno!"

/-/

The large Ursa growled and charged forwards, a paw swiping down to catch its victim, but the attack missed entirely as they jumped backwards, a blade flashing and severing the offending appendage. The Ursa roared in pain before the sharp blade was buried deep into its skull, piercing skin, flesh, bone and brains before exiting from the other side of it. As the weapon was pulled back, the Ursa's head was torn open, bits of Grimm flesh spraying out.

Doom landed gracefully, his weapon Damnant already back in movement.

Three Beowolves that were trying to sneak upon him met their untimely demise as Damnant carved a path through the air, cutting through their bodies like butter. Despite the heavy rain from the thunderous clouds in the skies above, Doom moved with the grace and precision of a skilled killer. Another Beowolf was anchored by the blade of the scythe and launched in the air, its throat open and bleeding.

The Wraith spun on himself and deflected the attack from an Ursa Major with its blade, piercing deep into the paw but not killing the beast. Without waiting for a second attack, Doom launched himself in the air and landed a dropkick on the Grimm's head, forcing it to involuntarily bow at him. _'And they should indeed bow at me, these mindless beasts,'_ Doom growled in his mind, a smirk reaching his lips as he grabbed one of the Ursa's dorsal spikes and tore it off, making the beast scream in hideous pain as a good chunk of flesh came off with the bone. Knowing he didn't have much time before it turned to Grimm dust, Doom flipped the spike and held it like a makeshift dagger, burying it in the skull of the Ursa, killing it quickly. He jumped off just in time to land on a perfect three-points stance, his weapon held across his back to shield off any sneak attack, his eyes scanning his surroundings.

Only evaporating remains of eleven Beowolves and three Ursai met his eyes.

Doom grunted in disappointment as he stood upright, his weapon still at ready in his hands, and began to walk off. The day had been a success, and despite not having been able to test all the new upgrades, he was satisfied with the weapon. Fatus had served him well, but now that he was Doom he needed something at his level, and Fatus wasn't any more. Damnant had taken its place, and he couldn't say he regretted leaving it to Mind and Monarch. They had done a great job.

The sounds of heavy footsteps approaching halted him before he could go back. They were far too heavy to be the ones of a human, or even of a Beowolf or an Ursa. It was something much, much larger and possibly something that would enable him to test Damnant's new upgrades to their true potential. Doom laughed loudly to alert the creature of its presence as he made his way to the clearing of the Temple's Ruins. The Ruins were important to the Wraiths as they had been were Jaune Arc had passed initiation. What was important to Jaune Arc was important to them. Doom's thoughts went to a certain redhead. She was really important to Jaune Arc. He would make sure no one would stop her from walking the Trail, even if he had to kill them for it.

Not like he would regret it.

He arrived at the ruins, the footsteps closing in from behind him. He had been searching for Grimm in the remotest corners of the Emerald Forest, so he hoped for something large and vicious. As he waited, he climbed onto the Ruins where the Relics once stood and watched as trees were knocked aside by the oncoming Grimm.

Even Doom, with all his strength and skill, felt his heart stop at the sight of the monster.

The Grimm was marginally smaller than the Deathstalker Jaune Arc's team had fought during initiation, but in its own way more dangerous, if badly handled. Mind had studied that kind of Grimm, but Doom would've never thought Ozpin would've allowed such a Grimm to live in the Emerald Forest. Its black body was stout and largely covered on white bone armour, leaving the joints of the four short and robust legs, the long and lithe tail and the necks free of bone. Red carvings, similar to runes, spiralled on the armour on its back, glowing slightly. Each leg ended in vicious four-fingered claws that were now tearing into the ground as the beast entered the clearing. The tail was devoid of bone armour or spikes, instead being as flexible and dangerous as a whip. On the back of the creature, several large spikes of bone protruded from the armour, not unlike the ones sometimes grown by Ursai Major. But the most dangerous feature of the beast was its head, or rather heads. Four heads, each not unlike a dragon's, with a small plaque of armour in the middle of the forehead and burning red eyes were growling and looking around, stilling as they saw him. Each head had two small horns on top of it, even if they never used them, and their jaws were filled with sharp fangs, their tongues peeking out occasionally like a snake's.

A Hydra.

 _'Fuck,'_ swore Doom. He knew he was in trouble, and it wasn't even an Alpha version of the Hydra Grimm type. That thing had the potential to be more powerful than the Deathstalker. Had he had a team to back him up, he would've probably made quick work of the creature with his skillful strikes and graceful movements, but on his own he would need to really fight. Thankfully he had the advantage of knowing the terrain better than the Grimm.

Doom deployed Damnant into its newly upgraded bow mode, and fired an arrow.

/-/

Back in Beacon, Ozpin gripped his mug tightly as he watched the Wraith engage the Grimm. Behind him, seven students were watching as well, scared by the mighty Grimm but dead set on observing the Wraith's fight.

/-/

The black-Aura arrow struck true as it sank into the creature's leftmost head before bursting into a sphere of energy. The wounded head exploded as well, pieces of Grimm gore spraying the other heads. Doom grimaced as he switched Damnant into its non-clawed Éventreur mode, the jagged point of the spear pointed to the enraged monster.

The Hydra charged with a howl of murderous rage and killing intent. Each one of the three heads moved and attacked from a different direction. Doom gritted his teeth as he jumped over the attack from his right and landed on the neck of the middle head before feeling the leftmost head about to slam into his side and try to bite through his Aura. He blinked out of the material world and let the attack go through him as he jumped away. He returned material just in time to land on the monster's back, gracefully avoiding the spikes.

Lither Grimm would've rampaged to throw him off, but the Hydras were too bulky to waste so much energy making enough movement to throw off their attackers. Instead, the remaining three heads turned around, baring their fangs at him. The fourth neck, the one that had exploded, was still smoking, the Grimm Essence vapour thick and not see-through. Doom grinned, using his knowledge of martial arts to break as many spikes as he could, kicking them off its back, making the monster howl in pain but most of all buying him a precious second. He switched Damnant into its Lame sword mode and jumped straight at the twisting necks, removing another head from the Grimm abomination. He rolled on the ground and continued to run, putting a few yards between himself and the monster before looking back, his weapon already switching into bow mode.

His blood froze.

The fourth head, the one he had removed almost immediately, was back, with a vengeance. From the neck were now extending two smaller necks with two different heads. He could only guess that the third head, the one he had just severed, was going to be blessed by the same ability as well. He had just given the monster an advantage it really didn't need.

How could he have been so stupid?

It didn't matter now, he was in trouble. The Hydra Grimm were difficult to deal with exactly because removing a head, be it by severing it or by tearing it off, would only lead to it growing two more. He rolled to the side to avoid the attacks from the two central heads but the third caught him and slammed him into a tree. He could feel the wood crack behind him. The four heads reared back and two of them moved to the side as to avoid slamming into each other while attacking. As they all attacked, Doom phased out of existence and slipped through the tree, letting them crash into each other and lose several frontal teeth in the act, something that gave him an advantage. No more able to bite with the frontal fangs, they would now be forced to overextend their attacks and try to bite him with the lateral teeth. Not an easy feat.

Doom began running towards the Ruins. Behind him, he heard the heads growl and snarl. Six of them, now. Darting by the Temple's Ruins, he aimed straight for the Greater Ruins, where the Deathstalker and the Nevermore had been defeated. Teeth sank into his ankle, fortunately not bypassing his Aura, and he swore again. He had forgotten that the newly formed heads would still have the frontal teeth. He wasn't the strategist, after all. Just the more skilled at fighting. Death would probably plan how to defeat the thing easily. But he wasn't Death.

Not yet, anyway.

He snarled savagely and twisted around, switching Damnant to its claw-like Éventreur mode and slammed it down on the thing's neck. Seeing the other heads closing in, he activated the Aura trigger, forcing the claw-like blades to close on the neck, not enough to behead it but enough to have a good grip on it. With a grunt of exertion, he twisted the spear and broke its neck, killing the head instantly by cutting off the nervous connection to the body. Coincidentally, the pain saved him several more bites as all the other heads howled in pain. He was unceremoniously dropped to the ground and rolled back up, deciding that running away wouldn't solve the problem until he could be sure that the thing didn't have any other trick up its sleeve.

He switched Damnant to its Éviscérateur mode, the cruelly serrated sword not the best weapon to deal with the Hydra, but it was better than nothing. He would've preferred to use its Buteur again, since he knew he could just will the arrow to dissipate after hitting the target instead of exploding, thus making it an exceptional weapon against the Grimm. But before he could use a ranged weapon he would need to get some space between himself and the Grimm. His back and ankle still hurt, but his Aura was helping immensely and he knew that in a few more seconds, maybe a minute, he would be fine once again.

As the rightmost head attacked, he stepped back, letting it bite the empty air before him before impaling it into the ground with Damnant. Unfortunately, he hadn't kept an eye on the other heads. One of them, he couldn't tell which one, slammed into his side, sending him flying. He lost his grip on Damnant and left it impaled into the ground. He quickly rolled and stood back up.

The Hydra ripped his head off the sword, allowing its neck to be torn as the head remained on the ground, slowly disintegrating. _'It's losing heads purposefully to gain more,'_ he realized. _'But, if I'm not wrong, they need for the wound to be dealt by the weapon of someone having Aura, or they won't be able to regenerate the wounds. Otherwise they would continually rip their heads off to generate more, and become ravaging monsters with thousands of heads.'_

He grimaced as he felt his stomach. The Hydra hit harder than anything he'd ever encountered. Even the training droids he regularly mowed down couldn't hope to hit this hard. In just three hits the Hydra had dealt more damage than he'd ever taken by the droids. That was inadmissible. He was skilled. He was powerful. He was Doom. HE WAS THE WRAITH OF DESTINY!

He would never let a mindless Grimm kill him.

He had a mission.

The Trail. The image of Ruby Rose, pleading the Wraiths to give Jaune Arc back, came to his mind, and his eyes narrowed. He still needed to guide them to Jaune Arc. Hydra or not, he would not be beaten so easily. It was time to use his ace, something he had seen a few Huntsman do so and had eventually learned how to.

Aura infused attacking.

He growled as he charged back at the Hydra. He did not need his weapon to be powerful, even if he did need it to defeat the Grimm. As the heads launched their attacks, he dodged them all and finally jumped, smashing the creature's anterior right knee in with a kick. The body shook and almost fell as he rolled and continued to run for his weapon.

Damnant never felt so right in his hands as he stood up, panting heavily. He winced at every breath, the large bruise on his chest healing quickly but not quickly enough. The Hydra turned around and roared at him before charging. He switched his weapon in scythe mode and took a deep breath. Severing its heads wasn't going to work even if he managed to cut all of them off. They would just regrow. The only two ways to kill a Hydra were to kill all the heads without destroying them...

...or killing the body.

He rolled out of the way of the first attack and then spun on himself to dodge the second and the third. It was the fourth that caught him, and unfortunately it came from one of the heads that still had teeth. He bit his lip hard enough to make it bleed to prevent himself from screaming as the jaws tried to crush him to death. Aura could protect from crushing but not from asphyxiation. He snarled back at it as he swung his scythe down, severing the head and landing roughly on the monster's back. Thankfully he had broken most of the spikes earlier so he wasn't impaled by any of them. He grinned and swung his scythe again, the closeness to the necks allowing him to slash through them all at once.

Five more heads fell to the ground, twitching and evaporating.

He had little time, he knew it even as he switched his weapon into its non-claw Éventreur mode. The body had stilled and slumped, but that simply meant that in less than twenty seconds twelve more heads would be generated by the severed necks. He took a deep breath and raised Damnant. When he opened his eyes again, they were clearly shining with black and white Aura, the right and the left one respectively.

"I AM DOOM, THE WRAITH OF DESTINY!" he shouted, his Aura seeping into his weapon. The necks began moving, the heads not formed but starting to. "BY THE MIGHT OF FATE, I CONDEMN YOU!"

The new heads were beginning to show now, but it was too late. He swung down the Aura-infused spear.

"CONDEMN, DAMNANT!"

The spear perforated the armour and found the flesh underneath, piercing it until it burst from the other side of the monster. The Hydra howled in agony and trashed wildly. He gritted his teeth and twisted the spear into the wound time and again, every time releasing some bursts of Aura from the weapon like he had seen some Huntsmen do. Slowly, the beast stopped moving and slumped, beginning to disintegrate. Despite his still hurting chest and slightly sore back and ankle, Doom smirked through the fatigue.

He had just killed a Hydra.

 ** _Oh, yeah._**

 ** _So, I told you to read this because I have to tell you this: I own the rights for all the weapons here in this arc except for the ones that remain canon. I'm not saying you can't use them. Just that it would be nice of you if you tell me first. Shoutout to LordHellPhoenix: you can use whatever weapon I ever come up with._**

 ** _As for the Hydra Grimm, I have the rights for that too. Again, you can use them if you tell me. Shoutout to Jauneforever: you can use whatever Grimm I create._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh._**


	35. Eiszapfen

**_Heya guys! Big news. Trail of Blood now has a badass cover image! I commissioned it to my best friend Zhero (her contact details are on my profile if you want to contact her). She's really good and agreed to draw me this cover image, and so here it is!_**

 ** _Cover image by_** Zhero.

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

Weiss was sweating.

The training droid she had chosen for training was proving hard to defeat, but she wouldn't let it win so easily. The mecha was roughly of the size of a human and programmed to fight like a Wraith. Or at least, programmed to try and fight like a Wraith. Weiss seriously doubted a mere droid would've been able to defeat a Hydra like they'd seen the Wraith do.

Her rapier flashed as she stabbed at the droid, but once again the blade simply bounced off the reinforced armour.

Behind her, General Timber was observing her fight with zero interest in her, but great interest in the conversation they were having. "Ms Schnee, do you have any more information you'd like to share with us?"

Weiss gritted her teeth, wishing she could just flip the man off and get away with it, but unfortunately she couldn't. _'That I'd like to? No. That I have to give you? Yes,'_ she thought with a grimace. "Headmaster, I've told you what I know about the Wraiths," she said for the fifth time.

"But do you have any theory of hypothesis that might help?" the man pressed on. "Captain Troy is on a mission, Ms Schnee. His very life might depend on what you can tell me."

Weiss raised both her arms and waited for the droid to attack. It was currently programmed to act as Wrath, using the tiny bit of information they knew about her to set it up. The droid fought aggressively, almost disregarding any block or parry in favour of dodging and attacking. Weiss, whose fighting style revolved about being able to pierce the opponent's defence, found herself in trouble as the droid continued to dodge her attacks, leaving her to overextend and submit herself to a counterattack.

In her hands, her twin duelling rapiers were ready to attack. As opposite to Myrtenaster, she couldn't use the Dust in those as they didn't have revolving Dust chambers. Instead, the hilts were equipped with Ice Dust handguns, so that she could launch ranged attacks without having to rely too much on the Dust chambers. The handguns had inner automatic generators that would automatically create Ice Dust rounds. The blades were about as long as Myrtenaster had been, and thus exceptionally short for a rapier, but they did fit her fighting style, and height, perfectly. Long blades tended to mess up each other's attacks.

She had called them Eiszapfen.

"The Wraiths are led by a single Wraith called Death," she said. "I've seen her just once and I was kinda... _distracted_ when I did, so I can't really tell you much about her. The other Wraiths don't like nor hate her, but they do fear her and obey her. She even has control over them... not unlike mind-control."

The General nodded.

Weiss grunted in exertion as she blocked a swing from the droid before her. With her blades it was difficult to block a scythe, even if it wasn't difficult to intercept it, due to the curved blade of the droid's weapon. With a quick pirouette, she found herself staring at the back of the training bot. A smirk came to her face as she aligned her blades to the robot and fired her handguns, the Ice Dust rounds hitting it hard and tearing it to pieces as she continued to fire away at it. "Death is the one who came up with this whole Trail of Blood thing. We will have to deal with her to get Jaune back. Killing her now would be useless, though: if she dies, the Wraiths probably won't ever tell us where Jaune is."

Timber nodded once again. "Thank you for your cooperation, Ms Schnee," he said. "I hope we will be able to catch this Death soon. Her, or Mr Arc."

Weiss gritted her teeth as she recalled how Captain Troy had `tried` to capture Jaune at the ruins. Ruby had told them everything, even what she didn't need nor want to know. "I'm just doing my duty as a student here by obeying your orders and answering your questions, _sir_." The emphasis on the last word gave away her distaste for the man, but Timber seemed not to care.

"Now rest, Ms Schnee," he said. "The Wraith are our responsibility now. You don't have to fight any more."

"Sir, I'm ready and _willing_ to fight them," she replied instantly. "My friends and I are the ones who have the most experience with the Wraiths and..."

"Ms Schnee..." he tried to interrupt her, but she continued nonetheless.

"...we also know how they fight better than we could ever describe verbally. We gave you all the details we could but words can't..."

"Ms Schnee..."

"...really describe what we know. We are ready to..."

"SILENCE!" She recoiled as if slapped, remembering how her father used to shout the same word with the same voice whenever he disagreed with what she was saying. A small part of her wanted to rebuff the order and defy his authority, but a much greater part of her knew it would've been a bad idea. She closed her mouth and waited for the lecture to come.

It didn't.

"As much as I appreciate your concerns and your offer," he stated formally. "I must refuse. You're not fully trained yet and you aren't in any military organization. The Army is taking care of this. And this is _final_ , Ms Schnee. Understood?"

Weiss gritted her teeth, but eventually nodded. "Yes, sir."

Timber excused himself with a quick bow and walked away, fishing out an old-fashioned walkie-talkie from his pocket. The signal wasn't very good, but the device was built for its signal to be untraceable. He activated it. "Beowolf, here Alpha. What's your position and status?"

 _"Hall. Alert."_

"I talked with White but I haven't gotten any new information. Black will be next. Keep your position, Beowolf, and report immediately in case of need. Understood?"

 _"Yes, sir. Keep position. Emergency report."_

"Good luck," said Timber as he cut the call. He turned to check if Weiss had overheard, but the girl had returned to her training without sparing him of a glance. Timber sighed as he walked away from the training arena. As much as he knew the students hated him, he also knew what he was doing was for the best. Especially if they managed to capture Jaune Arc and replicate his Aura reserves.

He shook his head from such thoughts. He still hadn't captured the boy.

/- from the Notes of Jaune Arc -/

 _Weiss Schnee_

 _5' 7''. White hair. Ice blue eyes. Human. Colour theme: white. Defiant. Prideful. Calculating. Sometimes harsh. Loyal. Caring. Weapon: Eiszapfen (twin duelling rapiers/twin handguns hybrid. Rapiers: 4'3'' per 4'' per 4'', Ice Dust and platinum alloy. Handguns in the hilt, calibre 26, Ice Dust rounds as well as slots for hand-equipped Dust rounds). Fighting style: precision and finesse over all, quick and sharp strikes aided by Glyphs. Semblance: Glyphs. Guardian: Monarch._

/-/

He watched with twisted glee as the soldier paced back and forth in the hall, uncaring of the stares he was receiving from the students for his nervous action. The man was short with equally short black hair and brown eyes. His uniform was getting repeatedly fidgeted with and smoothed down again as he tried to control his anxiousness. He knew why.

Captain Hektor Troy was a man of action, not one for waiting.

Betrayal smirked and sighed happily from his hidden spot on a ceiling support. No one usually looked up so he was safe. And besides, it wasn't like he was scared of being seen. They could look at him all they wanted, for all he cared. Proditio was on his back in its Lame mode, ready at hand in case he needed it. He seriously doubted it.

When, twenty minutes later, Captain Troy finally moved to reach the Headmaster, Betrayal sighed in relief as he could finally move his aching legs. He hurried in the opposite direction, keeping himself out of sight, before phasing out of the material world and jumping through a wall, landing perfectly on Professor Torchwick's desk. Any other man would've jumped out of his skin in fright. Roman merely cocked an eyebrow.

"Wraith," he greeted him.

"Professor," replied Betrayal, evenly. He kicked aside the paperwork and crouched on the desk, making himself comfortable like a large cat. "I see you're busy. Should I come back later?"

"No, for you I have time," said the thief, pushing his chair back to look at him better. "Which one are you?"

He snorted. "Keen as usual," said the Wraith. "Very well, I am Betrayal."

Roman's eyes narrowed. "The Wraith of Mistrust comes to me now?" he asked sarcastically. "Not filling me with faith."

Betrayal chuckled. "So you know of my previous name," he commented. "Did Vendetta tell you everything?"

"No, not everything, and especially nothing about my son," replied the man. "But she did tell me how you've gotten stronger, how your weapons have been upgraded and why you've changed names."

"So you know of us?" asked Betrayal. "You know of the change we've undergone?"

Roman nodded slowly. "Not everything. Just the general stuff."

Betrayal smiled. "Perfect," he said. "Because you've been assigned a personal Wraith. You've already met Vendetta... do you know Torment?"

The crook nodded again. "The Wraith of Pain. If I'm not wrong his previous name was Agony. Is he my `personal Wraith` now?"

Betrayal cackled. "Death doesn't trust you, Roman," he replied. "Torment will make sure to keep you in line. But that's not really why I am here." The Wraith stopped laughing and looked at him. "I want your daughter's help."

"For what?" asked Torchwick, not liking the glee emanating from the Wraith.

"Oh, well," smiled the black-clad figure. "Captain Hektor Troy is searching for us, isn't he? But he won't ever find us if he doesn't look _lower_."

Roman paled. "The basement," he said, and the Wraith nodded. "As much of a cliché this is, I'll admit I'm not too keen on having my daughter play bait to lure him into the basement."

Betrayal shook his head. He grunted in apparent pain or effort before shaking his head again. Whatever was it, it was gone in a second. "No, she just needs to give him a message."

"I know how you like to give your messages, Wraith," growled Roman. "If a single drop of my girl's blood is spilled, our deal is over."

The figure took out a folded piece of paper from his cloak. "No blood. Not hers, at least," he reassured the professor. "She just have to make sure he gets this. And not on his desk or in his room. I want her to put this in his pocket without him noticing. I'm sure she can manage."

Roman nodded. It was true, the both of them would've been able to do it, but Roman would've been too obvious. No one suspected of a little girl like Neo. Not until they saw her fight, at least. She would probably be able to do it without causing suspiciousness to raise. "This is a two-way street, though," he replied. "What do we get for that? It doesn't seem like something to take out Timber, and that was our initial deal and objective."

"It isn't," replied Betrayal. "I could say it's to test you and your loyalty but that would be false and you know it. I could say that by helping us you're helping with the Trail, and the Trail is for the sake of Jaune Arc, but you wouldn't believe me. We know you're not short of money, so Lien would be worthless to you." A smirk formed under his mask. "But what about the Sword of Crocea Mors?"

Roman was taken aback and confused by the offer. "What?"

"We have the Arc family heirloom, Crocea Mors," replied the Wraith. "But it's worthless to us. It's a piece of junk, no matter how good its steel might be. We have no use for it. But if you work with us to stop this Hunt, we will give you the Sword."

"What about the shield?" asked Roman.

The Wraith shrugged. "We keep it," he replied. "We keep it in case we need to trade it for something else."

"Isn't just an old sword a bit too little for me helping you kill Troy?" inquired Roman, even if he already knew the answer.

"Oh, don't act like you give a damn about him," laughed Betrayal. "You are ready to kill more than just that soldier to retrieve your son's sword. This is our deal, take or I leave."

The thief sighed. "I take the deal," he said, offering his hand to shake before thinking better of it. He had before him the Wraith Betrayal, after all. "When should she give it to him?"

Betrayal smiled before deploying Proditio in its Lame mode and deflect Neo's oncoming attack. The Wraith jumped off the desk as the diminutive assassin appeared on the other side of the room. Roman sighed. After the initial shock, Neo and the Wraith had developed a strange and murderous habit of attacking each other. Never when they were talking about business nor when some of the more serious or dangerous Wraith visited, but most of the times the Wraiths enjoyed a little spar with Neo. It never went further than a couple of attacks and parries, but it was enough to unnerve Roman. That they had started getting along finely so quickly just didn't settle well for him.

Betrayal turned back to him after a few more swings. "As soon as possible, obviously."

Roman made to open the folded piece of paper but a black-gloved hand grabbed his wrist. He shivered as it was the truly first time a Wraith had touched him, or anyone that he knew of, and it wasn't a trustworthy Wraith at all. The less trustworthy, actually. Betrayal shook his head and the thief removed his hand.

"This is for the good Captain alone to read."

 ** _And finally a chapter where Betrayal appears. We mentioned it as early as... Chapter 4, I think? And finally we see him in person._**

 ** _As for what Roman is talking about... I think I have to explain myself and clean up my mess. The `new` Wraiths aren't new. The message about stepping up their game was exactly that: the Wraiths becoming stronger. They changed name, got new weaponry, and ta-dah! New Wraiths. I won't give you all the complete list but I think you can guess. The old Wraiths won't appear any more because they've now turned into the `new` ones, but they might be mentioned as past. Sorry if I confused you all with this._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	36. Malasorte

**_Hey guys! Took me a while but here is the next chapter of Trail of Blood, starring Blake, two soldiers, Roman Torchwick... and Death herself._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

As she jumped back from yet another counterattack, Blake gritted her teeth.

The droid before her was as humanoid as a robot could be. It looked like one of those Atlasian Knights, reprogrammed to serve their purposes. The long grey coat and the burning red eyes had been added only to exhort her to fight better. The robot was fighting with an unrefined scythe, aggressively forcing her to parry, dodge or use her Semblance, something she didn't want to rely on too much.

An unforeseen strike forced her to backflip to avoid the sharp blade of the scythe. Despite it not being serrated nor wielded by a Wraith, it would still hurt if it hit her.

Behind her, safe where the fight couldn't reach him, was General Ayace Timber, currently one of the people she less wanted to be around. The man had seen through her admittedly pitiful disguise and knew she was a Faunus. Unfortunately, Timber was also just like his daughter Freya, thus a racist, and while his strict military training allowed him to hardly let his distaste show, Blake knew he didn't like to be around Faunus, even if at least he wasn't the type to start a lynch mob.

"So, tell me, Ms Belladonna," continued the man, as if the girl hadn't just avoided being slammed into the ground by a mere inch. "You said you suspect the Wraith hide in the basement. Could you explain, and possibly give as many details as you can?"

Blake wanted to snap that it wasn't the time for talking, but she knew better than to snap at the Headmaster, no matter how much she disliked him. She kicked the droid away as she tried to regain her breath. "I'm afraid we would've already acted, had we known more about them, _sir_ ," she gritted out.

"Ms Belladonna, your dislike for me should not cloud your common sense," warned Timber. "I am your Headmaster. Even if I currently have no authority over you as General, as Headmaster you are supposed to obey my commands and answer my questions. So I will make this one exception and repeat myself: could you explain your suspects, Ms Belladonna?"

Blake tensed slightly

"All we know is that everything we found point to the Wraiths inhabiting the basement," she snarled as she ferociously attacked the droid. "But it is probably asinine to think they are gonna allow anyone to find them. They are immaterial: they could just hide inside a wall and no one would ever find them."

"Unless we checked the walls as well," replied the Headmaster.

 _'You can't take down every wall in the basement, you idiot!'_ she thought, disgusted. Her eyes narrowing, she returned to the offensive.

Her new katana was longer, even if she could still fight with it one-handedly, as black a night, blade and hilt. In her left hand, instead, there was her new ranged weapon, a revolver equipped for the loading of Dust rounds, but otherwise shooting Shadow Dust rounds as default. It was a sleek and elegant revolver with a barrel slightly longer than normal.

She had called them Malasorte.

"I doubt you will be able to find anything, Headmaster," she said bitterly as she charged the droid, her katana flashing before being blocked by the robot's weapon. Taking advantage of the training bot's temporarily defencelessness, she fired a barrage of shots with the gun component of Malasorte, blowing up its right arm from mid-forearm to the shoulder, the hand remaining closed around the staff of the weapon. Using her Semblance she left behind a clone and teleported herself behind it before finally beheading the droid, her blade slashing with relative ease through the unarmoured neck of the machine. As it fell to the ground, she panted, trying to regain her breath. "And even if they do hide in the basement, searching for them can only end in tragedy... for us."

"Please, Ms Belladonna, trust in us a little," said the man, and her irritation spiked. "Do you really think that the faculty here, and my Captains, have trained for nothing? We will catch the Wraiths, no matter what."

Blake raised an eyebrow. _'I doubt that,'_ she thought morosely.

/- from the notes of Jaune Arc -/

 _Blake Belladonna_

 _5' 10''. Black hair. Amber eyes. Cat Faunus. Colour theme: black. Mysterious. Reclusive. Well-read. Intelligent. Subtle. Suspicious. Weapon: Malasorte (katana and revolver combo. Katana: 4' 9'' per 2'' per 2'', Shadow Dust and steel alloy. Revolver: 1' per 2'' per 5'', Shadow Dust and steel alloy, automatically Shadow Dust rounds, calibre 28) Fighting style: openly aggressive, defensive use of her Shadows, if powered by Dust aggressive use of her shadows. Semblance: Shadow Clones. Guardian: Betrayal_

/-/

Captain Hektor Troy almost jumped out of his skin as Headmaster Timber entered the office.

"General!" he exclaimed, standing upright. The man nodded dismissively as he took his seat behind the still shattered desk. "I have news about the my mission, sir!"

Timber seemed to perk up immediately. "Really?" he asked, surprised. "What news? Report, Captain."

Troy nodded as he took out a piece of paper from his pocket. "The style of the message is that of the Wraiths, but it's signed J. S. A."

"Jaune Soleil Arc," supplied Timber with narrowed eyes. "This is not good."

Hektor shook his head. "You haven't read the message yet," he said as he offered the paper to the man. "Not good is an understatement."

 _Forever lost, in the sands of time,  
forever lost, it was my time to shine,  
forever lost, you took what was mine,  
forever lost, now prepare to die._

 _J. S. A._

Hektor gulped nervously despite his military training. "What now, sir?"

Timber frowned. "You already have permission to shoot on sight," he stated slowly, trying not to be misunderstood. "I suggest you swap your usual ammunition for Aura-piercing casings. Your new priority is to kill Jaune Arc and the Wraiths. You have permission to eliminate whoever stands in the way of your mission. Understood, Captain?"

"Yes, sir."

/-/

Roman Torchwick nervously walked back and forth.

The reason of his current predicament was a mere slip of the tongue, a second of thoughtlessness that lead to unwise words. Words that had now lead him to pace in a dark and humid room deep in the basement of Beacon Academy. Neo was nowhere nearby, of course, having been sent away by the thief himself to at least ensure _her_ safety.

 _"Your plan is nice and all... it's a pity_ _ **she**_ _won't let you run around without recruiting you."_

Those had been the words that had suddenly piqued the interest of his own personal Wraith, Torment. He had personally thought Betrayal more fitting, or even Tragedy. Heck, even Heartbreak himself would've been a better `personal Wraith` than the creepy figure who now visited him daily. Since Torment had arrived they hadn't spoken a word, even if Roman could swear he heard a chuckle or two when his daughter `playfully` fought with them. Both of them were holding back, and yet the Wraith seemed to enjoy it.

But when Roman had uttered those words, those absolutely unwise and utterly stupid words, the Wraith had stopped playing with Neo, allowing her charge to go right through him. His eyes had bored into Roman's even if hidden by the mask, and for the first time, he heard Torment speak.

 _"Come with me,"_ he had said, holding out a hand for the thief. Neo had looked at him, asking for the permission to follow them, but Roman had shook his head. Whatever mess he had gotten himself into, he would have to untangle himself from it on his own. He wouldn't dare risk his daughter's life for that.

And so he found himself stuck in a dark room, waiting for the footsteps he had been hearing for a while now to stop. And stop they did, but only after ten more agonizing minutes.

The thief had never really considered himself a superstitious person, but when the Wraith emerged from a wall and spoke, he asked himself how many mirrors he had broken for this to happen.

 **"Roman Torchwick,"** said Death herself, the second most scary entity Roman currently knew of, right after Cinder. But while he feared Cinder for quite obvious reasons, he wasn't afraid of Death. No, he was afraid of what Death would do to Jaune if he dared disobey her. **"You have precious informations I want to hear. Who is** ** _she_** **?"**

Roman swallowed dryly. This was one of the many scenarios he had already thought of in his mind. And while meeting Death herself wasn't in most of them, he knew that mentioned _her_ had been his mistake. But even while facing the powerful Wraith, he wasn't stupid enough to betray Cinder without anything to gain.

If only his son's life wasn't at stake.

"Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything," he said, shaking his head. "If I do, she'll know, and if she knows, I'm dead. Not just me, she'll kill me, Neo and Jaune when she finds him."

His response was quick and clipped, not giving anything away. He just wanted to go back to his office and get as far away from Death as possible. The Wraith, however, had a quite different idea.

 **"You will be rewarded for this informations,"** she assured him. Or at least, he assumed she was a female. The other Wraiths referred her as such but all of their voices were muffled by the mask. Death could even be a male, for all he knew. **"With something beyond ever your quite wild imagination."**

Roman wanted to scoff. Had he been with anyone else, he would've scoffed. Now, he kept his mouth shut.

 **"If this woman you mentioned will really try and disrupt our plan, then I will know of her, and you will be the one to tell me what I want to know,"** continued the black-clad figure. **"I won't allow my plan to be ruined just because of one woman."**

"She's not a normal woman," snapped Roman. "She could probably cook you all to death!" He winced at the irony of his statement. The Wraith merely tilted her head sideways.

 **"You underestimate the power of Beacon's professors,"** she said gravely. **"They will capture or kill her. Ozpin is a man of great power. Hadn't she been afraid of the Beacon's faculty, she would've already stormed the school."**

"How do you know it's about Beacon?" growled Roman.

 **"If you are in her plans, her target is either Beacon or Vale. And since it's unwise to attack Vale as long as Beacon stands, her target must be the school, so** **to weaken the Kingdom's forces and defences,"** she explained evenly. **"I am not concerned for Vale's fate. But I** ** _am_** **concerned about what is happening** ** _here_** **. The Trail of Blood won't be disrupted."**

Roman coughed softly to try and buy himself time. He would need a good excuse not to give out any information, but his mind was drawing a blank. He _knew_ that telling the Wraiths of Cinder would be a very bad idea for everyone, since he _knew_ Cinder would learn of it, and fast. But at the same time he hated the woman, and kind of had a deal with the Wraiths. "She will _kill_ me, and many others, if she gets wind of this."

 **"She won't, then,"** was Death's easy reply. **"We will contact Ozpin and he will be the one to take action."**

"She's stronger than Ozpin!" shouted Roman, his own voice echoing in the room. "She would kill him as well, and then come for me!"

 **"You are a fool."** With that single statement, Roman stopped. Death didn't sound angry, but she did sound disappointed, and in Roman's mind disappointment wasn't much better than angry. **"Even if Ozpin were to be defeated on his own, he would not take action alone. And you will get to watch your oppressor die, Roman Torchwick."**

"An empty promise isn't gonna convince me to sell out my life," snarked Roman. He knew that it probably wasn't a good idea to be sarcastic before the very entity who had his son's life in her merciless hands, but his stress was starting to seep through his self-control.

 **"Then I will add something else to your reward,"** promised the Wraith, a hand coming up to caress the side of her bloody mask. **"Something that will change your mind."**

"I highly doubt it," he replied. "Not even the shield of Crocea Mors can convince me of doing this. And I'm pretty sure you aren't going to give me back my son, aren't you?"

 **"I will take off my mask."**

Roman went still. The usually brilliant brain of the thief vainly trying to process the words he had just head. Turning to the Wraith, he pointed to his face, as if pointing to an invisible mask, before making the gesture of taking it off. Death nodded once, her hand still lingering near the right side of her mask. Roman took a deep breath. "Well... this changes a lot of things," he whispered, not even knowing _why_ was he whispering if they were alone in the room. "I will tell you everything I know."

And tell her he did, from how he had met Cinder to what little he knew of her plans for Beacon. The thief hadn't been told much but one don't become Vale's most wanted without being resourceful. He had managed to snag tidbits of information here and there, carefully storing them away in his mind until he had an idea of Cinder's plan, even if vague and incomplete. He told her all he knew about Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black, as well as everything he could gather about the White Fang and their recent movements.

Despite the fear he had for Cinder, the reward was too great. Knowing the identity of Death could lead to two things. If she were to turn out inhuman, he would simply stop resisting her orders, knowing better than to try and disobey a Spirit of Death. But if she were to turn out human, he would be able to turn her in, or at least tell everything to Professor Ozpin. By the end of his speech, his throat ached for water, but he ignored it to focus on the black figure in front of him. Her hand had slowly moved to grasp the side of her mask, her fingers curling under it, as he spoke, and now that he had upheld his end of the bargain...

Death took off her mask.

 _ **Nope, I'm not gonna tell you what's under her mask until the next story arc.**_

 _ **Anyway, I have two announcements. One is that I've drawn a crude image for Eclipsim's transformations. Here is the link:**_

 _ **www. deviantart khorevis/art/Eclipsim-Transformations-760788969?ga_submit_new=10%3A1535051099 (remove the spaces...)  
**_

 _ **The second is that I can officially say, the end of Trail of Blood is nearing! There are 4 arcs left, including this one. They are:  
The Weapons and the Hunt  
The Misty Forest  
No Judgement  
Warring Death**_

 _ **And then this fic is done for! Although I still don't know how to end it. I have two possible endings... maybe I'll write them both as ending 1 and ending 2.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh**_


	37. Inferno Celica

**_And here is yet another chapter of Trail of Blood! Enjoy Yang's turn and, of course, a little piece of Hektor's adventure with the Wraiths._**

Yang growled.

In front of her, the training bot kept trying to put her on the defensive, but Yang Xiao Long was not a fighter who could be put on the defensive. The droid's attacks were swatted aside or simply tanked before responding with a counterattack.

She knew that Headmaster Timber had interrogated both Weiss and Blake, but she was thankful the man had decided not to show up during her spar. She didn't know if she would've been able to stop herself from punching him if he had.

Yang Xiao Long wasn't, despite her normal behaviour, someone who didn't think. She knew Timber was searching for information about Jaune, and she also knew that he had authorized that soldier, Captain Hektor something, to shoot both Jaune and the Wraiths on sight. She could've cared less about the Wraiths, but hurting them could result in them taking it out on Jaune. And the fact that Hektor had tried to shoot Jaune himself had made her angry like very few other times.

After all the trouble they had gone through to follow the Trail, and not piss off the Wraiths, to try and find him, Timber had allowed his little soldier to try and shoot him. It wasn't just endangering Jaune's life and spitting over their efforts. It was also the utter lack of attention he had shown when they had explained to him why he should've allowed them to continue the Trail. But most of all, it had been a message still saved on her Scroll the catalyst for Yang's rage.

The man had ignored their warnings, their words and their pleas. She wasn't in the mood to obey him at the moment, nor she would be in the foreseeable future.

She wasn't wasting any time, dismembering the training bot with quick and powerful punches, tearing its limbs apart with the mere strength of her attacks. Her weapons were now different, not more just bracelets. The entirety of her hands was covered, and the gauntlets went up to her elbow. Burn Dust could be seen on the inside of her forearms, attached to the weapon. Two small barrels were also visible on outside of her forearms, barrels she used time and again to fire a flow of flames at the droid. Larger barrels could also be seen on the back of her wrists, keeping the design of the shotguns Ember Celica had been equipped with.

The idea of her weapon itself was simple. It was similar to her previous gauntlets, but it covered her hands like gloves instead of covering just the back of them and the wrists. They were much slender than Ember Celica, and the gauntlets had a shotgun and a small flamethrower each, both connected to the Burn Dust generator inside the weapon. The shotgun's calibre was slightly smaller than her previous ones, but that was because Ember Celica was massively built, and thus allowed for greater calibre. The barrels were black against the golden metal of the gauntlets, and a single black wire connected the flamethrowers to the Burn Dust generator.

She had called them Inferno Celica.

Her arms moved on their own as she smashed the last piece of the droid, its torso, and stood over its destroyed scraps, panting for the exertion. With a flick of her hands, her weapons returned to its compact mode. The metal around her hands clicked and retracted into the bracers, even if her forearms were still covered by the metal. Even in compact mode she could fire her shotguns, even if using the flamethrowers was a bit risky due to the closeness between the Burn Dust generator and the actual barrel in its compact state. It allowed her to free her hands, but to remove the weapon she would still need to detach the bracers by hand.

Sighing, she tiredly rubbed her eyes. It was getting late. She looked up to the camera in the training arena. Since she had been training in the arena usually reserved for the matches in Combat Class, her whole fight had been under the steady gaze of the camera. Yang would've liked to train without anyone spying on her, but Ozpin had begged her and her friends to train where he could see them, at least after hours. A quick glance to the window confirmed that yes, it was very much after hours. Maybe one or so in the morning. She shook her head and mockingly waved at the camera befoe walking away.

/- from the notes of Jaune Arc -/

 _Yang Xiao Long_

 _6'. Blonde hair. Lilac eyes, turn red when active Rage. Colour theme: yellow. Lively. Bright. Teasing. Party-girl. Sisterly. Caring. Sarcastic. Weapon: Inferno Celica (shotgun/flamethrower gauntlets: 1' 8'' per 4'' per 4'', Fire Dust and gold alloy, 33 calibre, automatic Burn Dust rounds. Flamethrowers' range: 20'). Fighting style: CQC, boxing, little to no use of legs, predictable but unstoppable. Semblance: Power Rage._

/-/

Unbeknownst to Yang, someone replied to her wave.

Standing tall in Ozpin's new office, right under Goodwitch's, was a Wraith. Her mask showed no expression as her hand lazily responded to the unaware girl's salute, the gesture almost invisible in the darkness that enveloped the office, the only sound of it coming from the rustling of her bloodied cloak.

Standing not five yards away from the Wraith was Ozpin, his cane in his right hand and eyes looking like brown agates behind the glasses. His face was cut from stone, but his mouth was slightly twitching as it held a displeased frown.

After replying to the mock wave, the Wraith turned back to the former Headmaster. **"Everything I said is true, Medeis Ozpin,"** said the figure, her weapon nowhere to be seen but obviously close at hand. **"You will find what I told you to search for. Emerald Sustrai's Semblance is quite the useful one, though, so I recommend special care to avoid falling in a trick. But Cinder Fall is the most dangerous of the three. Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan Torchwick agreed to aid you in this quest. Is there anything else you need to know?"**

Ozpin's stance, if possible became even stiffer. "How do you know all this?" he asked for the second time. The Wraith tilted her head sideways. "What tells me you're not lying to me just to remove Ms Fall and her teammates from the school?"

 **"I have this,"** replied Death, drawing a Scroll from her cloak and slipping it on the Professor's table. **"This is Jaune Arc's former Scroll. I recorded my conversation with Roman Torchwick. I have his son, Medeis Ozpin: he wouldn't lie to me."**

"We already went over this," murmured Ozpin, his left hand crawling on the table and snatching the Scroll from it. "What tells me you didn't force Torchwick to confess something like this just to have Ms Fall captured?"

 **"Nothing tells you,"** was Death's slow reply. There was a moment of silence during which the two powerful entities simply appeared to stare each other down while lost in thought. **"But... there would be a way to prove to you that Cinder Fall has stolen the Fall Maiden's powers."**

Ozpin gritted his teeth. "I'm still not sure telling you of all people... beings... _entities_... about the Maidens has been a good idea," he noted with an edge in his voice.

Death merely laughed mercilessly. **"I am not interested in four girls burdened with the responsibility of the world,"** she chuckled cruelly, almost making him wince. He knew that the Maidens had to bear unfair burdens, but it was for the sake of Remnant. Death's next words tore him from that line of thought. **"I will fight Cinder Fall. If she uses her powers, then you and your Professors will intervene and either capture or kill her. I will disappear as soon as her powers will be revealed. And if she does not reveal her powers until the very end, you will blame the assault to me. Either case, you win."**

"I can recognize a trick when I see one," retorted Ozpin. "What tells me you will let her live if she doesn't reveal her supposed powers?"

Death growled, growing annoyed, even if it was understandable for the Professor not to trust her. **"Then you will step in and stop me,"** she spat out. **"Do you want to save the Fall Maiden, or do you want to let Cinder Fall continue with her plan?"**

Ozpin remained silent as the two engaged in a tense gaze challenge, but eventually he was the one to look away and at the Scroll in his left hand. "I will consider your words, Wraith," he said with an edge in his tone. "Now get out of my office."

Death seemed amused. **"What? You're not going to try and capture me?"** she laughed.

"Doing so would simply result in Mr Arc's suffering or even worse, death," the man gritted out, his grip on his cane increasing. The Wraith gave one last dry chuckle before slipping through a wall and disappearing from sight.

Ozpin remained tense for one more second before sighing and slumping back on his chair. "Why did it have to get so much more complicated?" he asked to no one. "I don't have time for the Trail and for the Queen's pawns at the same time. But choosing to take care of the pawn..."

He didn't say it.

It meant leaving the students on their own against the Wraiths.

/-/

Hektor Troy didn't like being helpless.

He had been grown as a solid, logical man from his father, a grape cultivator in Northern Vale. He had learned how to obey to orders during his time in the military. But eventually, when it came to facts, he had joined the Army because he hated the feeling of being helpless. Not to protect the lands of Vale. Not for some sense of justice. He was just a normal man searching for something that would've kept him safe from Life. The military offered him that, and he accepted it.

And yet, even in his career first as soldier, private, lieutenant, sergeant and then captain, Hektor Troy had found himself helpless more than once. During a White Fang rally, he had found himself captured by a tall man with brown-red hair and a red katana as weapon. The man's cruelty had become clear when he had gutted one of Hektor's men. Another time had been during a fire in a building. Crouched in the smoke with a small boy in his arms, he had been helpless as he watched the flames burn the lower floors. Fortunately some Huntress with a water-based Semblance had arrived in time, or both the soldier and the child would've died.

But never in his life he would've thought that he would end up searching an empty basement, trying to find some psychopaths and their just as psychopathic prisoner. His training had covered what to do in many a situation, ranging from hostage situations to Grimm attacks, but it hadn't prepared him for whatever the Wraiths were. His best bet would've been to kill Jaune Arc, since it appeared they were somehow linked to him, but he suspected that such an action would just earn him their ire, especially Death's.

The man kicked a stray pebble out of his way in irritation.

It wasn't a wise choice.

Almost immediately, the echoes of the noise filled his ears, remembering him that the basement wasn't the best place where to make any kind of noise. The echo wasn't actually strong, but in the silence it sounded deafening. He stilled for a second before sighing. Nothing had moved, nothing had appeared, nothing had attacked.

He was just alone in a damn empty basement.

 _'Not like I want it to be haunted,'_ he thought as he moved further into the dark recesses of the dungeon under Beacon, a residuum of the ancient past of the school. His torchlight shined as the light ray cut through the darkness, wavering slightly and trembling every time he took a step.

He had been searching the basement for more than an hour now, his CABAAR6 strapped on his back, when he finally got fed up. It was four in the morning, if not five, and he was tired and irritated. His fear was now gone, lost in the tide of sleepiness and annoyance, and he began stomping through the chambers with a clearly displeased frown on his face.

He still had more than half the Beacon basement to check out.

One after the other, several more rooms revealed themselves to be empty, and he checked them out on his electronic map. Seventy down, so many more to go. His irritation flared then and there, making him kick another pebble and send it flying. Most of the times it would hit a wall. Sometimes it would land on something, be it old cloth or ancient wood, abandoned there ages before during the construction of Vale's castle. The school, after all, had been built over the ruins and remains of an ancient castle, the optimal position of the academy making it near-impossible to siege and storm.

Room after room, his composure began to crack a little. He began slamming the few doors that were still functioning much harder, sometimes cracking the old and rotten wood, and overall beginning to check the rooms less and less thoroughly.

 _Ding_.

He stopped. The sound of something hitting metal echoed for a second in the room before he pointed his torch towards the source. There, a metallic plaque had been propped on a table in the middle of the room. The light shone brightly on the metal while the rest of the room was shrouded in darkness. He took a single step closer to read what was written in elegant red letters on the plaque.

 _Captain Hektor Troy  
Dead on February 8th, 83 years after the Great War  
Killed by the Supreme Wraith of Death_

Something moved in the shadows.

Hektor ran.

 ** _Not my longest chapter, but it was important. For the date I just made the year up from scratch. It should be more or less 80 years after the War so I put 83. Correct me if I'm wrong. February the eighth because that's my birthday._**

 ** _Anyway, I am on DeviantArt, under the name of Khorevis (who would've guessed, eh?). Here are the links for Eclipsim Mark III, Eiszapfen (will probably be re-drawn), Malasorte and Inferno Celica:  
www. deviantart khorevis/art/Eclipsim-Transformations-760788969  
www. deviantart_** ** _ ****khorevis/art/Eiszapfen-761409075  
www. deviantart_** ** _ ****khorevis/art/Malasorte-761432717  
www. deviantart_** ** _ ****khorevis/art/Inferno-Celica-761502956  
(remove the spaces, obviously)_**

 ** _And with this, I'm off!_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	38. Valhalla

**_Heya guys! It's been a while, and I ask your forgiveness. Remnants of Dimensions is in temporary hiatus since Jauneforever is going through a busy time and he can't send me the chapter to be reacted to, so my schedule was kinda blocked. I really enjoyed writing ViewingTES so I focused on that, but here is the chapter you wanted! Hektor dies! Not much description but we'll make up for that later._**

 ** _Stay evil!_**

Nora was angry.

That was an unusual state of mind for the normally bubbly girl, but anyone watching her fight against the innocent droid would've been able to tell she was angry. Really, really angry. Her hammer swung time and again, each time missing and each time repeating the process.

In many ways, Nora was like a dormant volcano.

Not an extinct one, no. She could tank so much negativity, so much pressure and so much strain, but even she had a limit. Just like an earthquake was needed to awake a dormant volcano, only an immense amount of strain would break Nora's carefree attitude, revealing what laid underneath. And just like a volcano, the outcome of such a break was powerful and terrifying.

Despite all her cheer and serenity, Nora was still the orphan who had no home, no family and no one in the world. She was still the poor girl bullied because she had nothing. She was still the terrified girl who had been waiting for death under a stair when the Grimm destroyed Kuroyuri. And it didn't matter how much she tried to hide it, such things always left their mark on people.

Underneath all her freedom, all her happiness and all her untroubled personality, there was someone very few people had seen. Ren was the only one aside from herself. There was someone who was different from the usual Nora.

Underneath everything, she still had the cynicism, the mistrust, the fear and the hatred she had felt during her darker years. No one went through what she had gone through without becoming like that. A few managed to hide it, to lock it away in the remotest corners of their souls, but no one could completely forsake it.

Nora was no exception. She had hidden it away and tried to forget about it, but now that the strain had become too much, her cynical but no less true self had come out.

That was why she was in the arena at the moment, even if it was no later than four in the morning. She didn't want the others to see her in such a state, and so she was venting off the strain that had broken through her carefree self.

Some people used facades. She wasn't one of them. She genuinely was a carefree and serene person, but deep down she was also still wearing the marks of a miserable past. It was like a house: the outside _was_ serene and cheerful, and the inside was too, but there was a locked closet where spiders and dark spirits laid.

But her newly resurfaced cynicism couldn't help but tell her that she was impotent. Deep down she _knew_ all the Trail of Blood was pointless. Death had Jaune, why would she give him back? She had no reason. And she had already proven to be cruel if she wanted to. Tear's execution had made that clear.

She squashed that feeling with another swing from her new hammer.

Overall, her weapon hadn't changed much, but now it sported three Electricity Dust crystals planted in the back of the hammerhead. Three coils on the other end were short and stout enough to tank the hits, while at the same time enabling her to electrocute the target. Unfortunately, to built it that way she had needed to forgo the grenade launcher, but instead she had modified it so that it could literally shoot lightning. The same energy could also travel down the shaft and charge her own Semblance up if needed. The shaft itself was not sturdier, only bending in three points instead of several and thus less aesthetic to look at, but way solider and thus apter for the job.

She had called it Valhalla.

The droid in front of her was quick and quite frankly, annoying. It dodged and counterattacked when she was unbalanced, but it was also too weak to stop her. She wasn't using her Semblance, and she knew she could've ended the fight much earlier. She just hadn't wanted to do so sooner.

Converting her hammer into compact mode, she pointed it at the droid and pulled the trigger, releasing a crackling arc of lightning that tore through the metal body of the training bot with ease, making the robot explode for the energy overload.

Wiping the sweat off her brow, she placed Valhalla on her back.

Her serene attitude slowly returned, piece by piece replacing the raging storm of emotions that still troubled her. Despite what people thought, Nora wasn't a child and wasn't naive. She just preferred to act as if she was to avoid having to face all the darkness in the world. But unlike Ruby, who had once been childish but wanting to save the world and stuff like that, Nora was different.

Nora just acted carefree and serene. She didn't act like she was going to save the world.

Nora knew they couldn't save the world.

They couldn't do anything.

/- from the notes of Jaune Arc -/

 _Nora Valkyrie_

 _5' 6''. Ginger hair. Turquoise eyes. Colour theme: pink. Energetic. Cheerful to a fault. Naive. Bright. Happy-go-lucky. Loyal. Weapon: Valhalla_ _(warhammer/Tesla coil_ _hybrid. Warhammer: 6' per 1' 4'' per 1', Electricity_ _Dust and steel alloy to boost the wielder via her Semblance. Also able to generate arcs of lightning. Ranged mode is available both deployed and compact, but she prefers using it in compact.). Fighting style: aggressive combat, absolute use of her_ _strength, wide swings for built-up force. Semblance: Electricity Conversion._

/-/

Roman Torchwick was having a crisis.

His daughter, Neo, was too.

The two of the were in his room, the former on a chair and the latter on his bed, both rocking back and forth in a vain attempt to calm themselves. Roman was the worst off, having _seen_ first-hand what was causing them such distress, but Neo was not far behind, her eyes wide and her mind unresponsive.

They had seen what laid behind Death's mask.

And they wished they hadn't.

Or rather, that was incorrect, they partially wished they hadn't, even if they knew the information they now held was important.

Too important.

They couldn't let _anyone_ know. Doing so would result in complete disaster. Not the students, not Ozpin, and especially not Timber.

Their world had just been shaken. All along they had thought things to be one way and it was all wrong. They had thought to be following the Trail to save Jaune, but they'd just been chasing after baits.

Jaune did not need to be saved.

Roman Torchwick couldn't tell anyone.

Six of the students would condemn and hate.

Timber would kill.

Ozpin would do even worse, locking him in Beacon.

Ruby Rose would be heartbroken.

He couldn't tell anyone.

Even if he felt like dying just for knowing such a secret, he wouldn't tell anyone.

He couldn't tell anyone.

He had no right to do so.

/-/

He couldn't do anything.

Hektor Troy, for all his lack of initiative, was _not_ stupid. No more than the average of the population, at least. He knew that being chased by the most powerful of the Wraiths wasn't something he could solve easily. His rifle could pierce Aura, but he wasn't sure of exactly _what_ Death was, and he would still need to _see_ it to shoot it. He had his torchlight, sure, but who would've been stupid enough to stop and try to point a torchlight at your killer?

No one. He was a soldier, trained to fight, not trained for suicidal missions.

Usually, Huntsmen and Huntresses were the ones who accepted suicide missions. Like holding off a horde of Grimm to allow the citizens to escape and stuff like that. Huntsmen, not soldiers. Soldiers were to one who guarded the borders and kept the criminality in the city under control. Hektor had fought Grimm, of course, but not even half as many as any Beacon first year had. He had been trained to fight thugs and criminals, to handle hostage situations, to use his weapons at their best without killing the target, and all that stuff. A Grimm was very different from a human.

A sound echoing in his ears reminded him that the Grimm weren't what he should've been worried about at the moment. He could see it, Death, lazily walking behind him. While he was running with no idea of where he was going, the Wraith knew it and anticipated him wherever he went. Seeing it slowly walking toward him, as if it had all the time in the world, was one of the most terrifying things he had ever seen.

The rooms were endless. How could a school have such a dungeon? It might've been a castle but Hektor was sure he had been sprinting for twenty minutes now. And not just running, _sprinting_. He was dead tired, and yet he had been going nowhere. He was no closer to safety -if there was even something like safety when facing Death- than he had been when he had first begun to run.

He halted his run, completely out of breath, and frantically looked around, the cone of light of his torchlight shaking wildly, like his hand.

The old, boring masonry of the walls, an ancient, tarnished wooden table, three doors fallen out of their frames. All of it seemed to taunt him with its unnatural normality. Nothing suggested he was about to die. Nothing suggested why his heart was hammering into his chest as if it wanted to burst from it and run for its life.

 **"Running will only delay what is now unavoidable."**

He turned with a strangled gasp, pointing his torchlight at the wall. What he saw was not what he would've wanted to see.

Death was standing there, cloak unmoving for the lack of wind, mask in place and scythe in hand. The bloodstains were now absent on her cloak, mask and weapon, clearly having been removed and recently.

Hektor didn't think. He merely ran.

Behind him he heard Death laugh loudly at his exhausted attempt for a sprint. He stumbled and fell, rolled back and up continued to staggeringly run away. Behind him he heard Death move, coming for him, and speak.

 **"Reap his soul, Mortem."**

Blinding pain.

His body bisected by a crescent of black and white light.

His lower half stumbling and falling.

His upper half tumbling and rolling for a few more feet.

Agony, and then...

It was over.

/-/

Headmaster Ayace Timber was not having a good day.

Having been threatened by Ozpin himself just a week earlier, after his decoy had been discovered, he still wasn't in a good mood. Teaching class with Professor Port hadn't helped, either, and he was pondering firing the fat Professor just to spare the students from more of his horrifyingly boring lessons. Also, he was sure that no one could ever attempt to defeat a Nevermore by pissing acid on it after drinking said acid, especially because as far as he knew that wasn't Port's Semblance.

Mental scarring for his students? He could accept that.

But attempted murder by boredom? That crossed a line.

He sighed as he pushed his office's door open. The day had been the perfect example of how tiresome, boring and annoying a teaching career could be. At least the students had looked at him like he was a saviour from Heaven when he had finally decided to take over and actually give some real information about the Grimm they fought. He shook his head and closed the door behind.

Then he stilled.

Something was wrong.

It took him barely more than a couple of seconds to realize what was wrong. Silence. Complete silence. And he was standing in an office whose ceiling was composed by giant clock gears that whirred and clicked constantly, often distracting him from his job. But now...

Everything was silent.

He frowned as he walked toward his desk, and thus his computer, to check if everything was alright with the power. It wouldn't have been the first time it happened in a school full of overpowered hormonal teenagers. But something stopped him.

 _Splat_.

His shoe had just hit something liquid. He frowned again and looked down, not really in the mood to face a leak at that point, but it wasn't a leak. It was red, and almost fresh as well. The puddle was not huge but sizeable, and he could feel a shiver run down his spine at the sight.

Blood.

 _Plick_.

He froze as some cold and dense liquid hit him on the head. Slowly, he looked up.

Shoved between the now blocked clock gears there was the upper half of Captain Hektor Troy's corpse, having been bisected at the midriff by some kind of blade. His face was a mask of agony, terror and horror even in death, and his right hand was dangling down as if in a silent and desperate plea for help. On the gear that was crushing his body stood out four words painted in blood.

 _ **YOU WILL BE NEXT**_

/-/

Cinder Fall, despite all her powers and skills, was just human.

She rarely showed it, but working with thieves, assassins and overall not really pleasant people left their marks on her. Roman became an annoying flamboyant criminal mastermind with a sharp tongue and the will to use it. Black was an irritating prick exuding smugness and arrogance at all times. Neo was a psychopath who at least never spoke. Emerald was clearly infatuated with her but lacked any semblance of backbone, and she found her meek servitude a nuisance. She preferred to break strong people into servile animals, she preferred the challenge she knew she would win, not the pre-made package of servility that was Emerald. And she didn't even want to start talking about Adam. His self-righteous and hatred toward the entire world no matter what were strong motivations, but one could only listen to the same complaints and speeches against humanity only for so long before they turned vexing.

That was of course without counting in how it was back at the base. Salem was the calmest of them all, immediately followed by Hazel. The latter never spoke, but when he did he was so incredibly similar to Adam in his hatred toward Ozpin. Really, the man might've accepted Hazel's sister into Beacon and she might've gotten killed, but in the end it was a Grimm the one that ended her life. So why side with the Queen of the Grimm? That was a headache she didn't want to think about.

Then there was Tyrian... she hated him. She might've been planning to destroy Beacon and laugh over the burned remains, but at least she was mentally sane. He would start to laugh without any apparent reason, say idiotic stuff just for the sake of saying it, and most of all he would try to be poetic and cruel at the same time. She had to admit that, for a psychopath, he was pretty good at it, but that didn't make it any less annoying. Hadn't it been that he was stronger than her, and hadn't it been that Salem had forbidden her to do it, she would've incinerated him on the spot.

Finally, Watts. The man was the bane of her existence. Not skilled in combat, without a real weapon and without the thirst for physical power, he was exactly the type of man she despised. Power was all that mattered, and she wasn't speaking about fancy machines and labs, or influence. That was for the weak who couldn't fight for himself and had to rely on others or on machines. Deciding to lure and hijack Ironwood's army of robots was a not-so-subtle jab at how useless she thought machines were. Unfortunately, despite being far stronger than himself, she had been forbidden to harm him as well.

And those were just the single people. Add in the fact that she _hated_ the Grimm, add in the fact that she despised the White Fang, and suddenly it was understandable why she was in such a bad mood.

Not only that, coming to Beacon should've been a quiet affair. And she had to admit, it wasn't _them_ what had caused such a mess. The Wraiths, or so she'd heard they were called, were spreading chaos and mayhem among the students, and seven particular students seemed to have been the most targeted. She didn't know the full story, even if she planned to find out soon enough, but she doubted those Wraiths really were worth the hassle.

And that was why she had been wandering in an isolated part of the Beacon grounds when it happened.

She heard the footsteps and the sounds of rustling cloth before she saw it. She was a trained warrior, after all. But when she turned, she found her mouth twisting down in a grimace, and her headache just increasing.

 **"I would say it is a pleasure to finally meet you, Cinder Fall,"** said the figure in front of her. **"But that would be a lie."**

 _ **So...**_

 _ **Cinder has met Death. Hektor too, both Deaths. Timber's got a large target on himself. And overall I've had a great time writing this.**_

 _ **It's just who and what I am.**_

 _ **Plus, check out my profile on DeviantArt (still under the username Khorevis) to see a crude drawing of Valhalla. I'm not putting the link here because FF is a bitch and always finds a way to ruin every link I write. F*** it.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh**_


	39. Upakoúo

**_Whoops, it has been some time since the last ToB's update, right? And I left on a cliffhanger... I'm so sorry. It's just that I never really had the drive to write this. I beg your pardon, and I hope to make up with this chapter._**

Pyrrha Nikos was nice.

 _Slash_.

Pyrrha Nikos was polite.

 _Hack_.

Pyrrha Nikos was calm.

 _Bash_.

Pyrrha Nikos was skilled.

 _Swing_.

But most of all… Pyrrha Nikos was alone.

 _Lunge_.

As she sparred with three droids, her mind went back to what the Wraith, Destiny, had told her. She had chosen her own exile. She had condemned herself to a life of loneliness. In a way, he was right. She could've tried more to make friends but in the end, she had _needed_ Jaune. Years of fighting had made her famous, and fame had made her guarded. She had needed lovable fool to look at her shell, shrug, take a pickaxe and bring it down in a second.

What the Wraith had mostly been right about, she should've known her Semblance better than that.

She had done some research. Nothing too big, of course - _Hack!_ -, but she had still found out that not all metals used in weapon forging were truly magnetic. Some paramagnetic, maybe, but there were also some non-magnetic metals people used. And she had never known about it. Hadn't Destiny stopped, she wondered, would she have gotten herself killed? No, she was more skilled than the Wraiths, that much she knew. It wasn't arrogance on her part… just knowledge. She _knew_ she was. Even against Destiny, she had easily kept up with him while fighting. True, the first hit had gone to him, but that didn't mean everything. She could've defeated him.

 _Slash_.

Just like she would defeat Death.

 _Hack!_

 _Hack!_

 _Beeeeeep_.

She walked over the control panel and ordered three new droids to come in. She was barely sweating. After fighting Destiny, she had noticed how her previous fighting style wouldn't work. Destiny had kept the use of his immateriality to a minimum, so she wouldn't have to worry about dodging their attacks. She had forged her new weaponry to block, not to dodge.

Her sword was sturdy and heavier now, with not complex mechashifting parts. Solid metal that would land solid blows. It could shift into a rifle, but it wasn't optimal and she preferred to keep it in sword mode. Then there was her new shield, four feet in diameter and thus very large and heavy. Instead of moving quickly, she decided to move slower and use more defence. That shield would tank almost any hit, and the hidden chainsaw mode would be useful in case she had to throw it.

She had called it Upakoúo… Obey.

Turning to face the droids, she gritted her teeth. Her Semblance had become second nature for her, so keeping herself from using it was hard, but she would soldier through. She wasn't four times Mistralian Regional Champion for nothing.

Her destiny was to protect Remnant. Well, she was pretty sure she could start by saving Jaune. It wasn't arrogance on her part, it was just logical reasoning. Out of everyone of them, she was the only one who could defeat the Wraiths. She had the skill to do it, while the others could've gotten hurt.

Her plan wasn't all that complex, after all. She just needed to find them. They had played their game for far too long, appearing and disappearing at random, and Pyrrha Nikos never liked to leave things at random. She would take matters into her own hands, whether the Wraiths liked it or not. As powerful as Death was, they wouldn't have started the whole trail thing, hadn't the Wraiths thought no student could stop them.

She was that student.

She could say, and still be modest, that she was the best student of the year. It wasn't like the others would do nothing, it was just that… Pyrrha would've been the one to go up against Death, and defeat the Supreme Wraith. The others did not have enough skill to fight her, so she had to fight the Wraith.

It was not arrogance on her part. Just logic.

/-from the notes of Jaune Arc-/

 _Pyrrha Nikos._

 _6' 1''. Red hair. Emerald eyes. Colour theme: bronze and red. Serene. Helpful. Kind. Determined. Confident. Always apologizing. Weapon: Upakoúo (sword: 4' 2'' per 5'' per 2'', Fire Dust and steel alloy. Rifle: 3' 8'' per 5'' per 2'', calibre 35, Fire Dust rounds. Shield: 4' per 4' per 4'', Fire Dust and steel alloy, hidden chainsaw mode, presumably for throwing). Fighting style: opportunist, aggressive, defensive, mastery, precision, agility and speed. Not particularly strong but her Semblance backs up every hit to make it deal more damage. Semblance: Polarity._

/-/

Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan knocked at the door with easy smiles on their faces.

It had taken them a while, but eventually they had both recovered from the shock of seeing what laid under Death's mask. Some people might've said that looking straight at Death was not healthy. Some people would've been right. Roman Torchwick had felt ill for a whole day before his criminal instincts had kicked in. Even his little psychopathic daughter had had trouble processing the news.

But now Roman Torchwick was back to his usual self.

The door was basically wrenched open by a very pissed-looking Mercury Black, who glared at them with hatred. "Who the fuck is-" He cut off abruptly as he noticed Roman's presence. "Torchwick! What are you doing here?!" he hissed furiously, stepping aside and allowing the former thief, now professor, into the room.

Roman lifted the bottle of Vacuan Whiskey he was carrying. "Cinder told me she had new orders for me. I decided that, given how Cindie usually gives orders, I would need a kick for the meeting." He grinned. "So here I am, with daughter and whiskey. Do I need anything else?"

Mercury growled as the thief stepped in their dorm. "Ah, little empty here, don't you think? No personalization, no decor, nothing at all. I expected nothing less from Cinder's lackeys." He sat on a chair and placed the whiskey on the table. Neo walked up to him and placed five glasses beside the bottle. "One for each of us, so you can't say I'm forgetting about you two."

Emerald stood up from her bed as well, siding with Mercury. "Cinder is out for a walk, you'd better stop talking now and stay silent until she comes back," she threatened, making Roman inwardly scoff. Really, she tried so hard to be like her little Cindie. "We will do the same."

The criminal mastermind just sighed with a smirk. "Oh well, and here I thought we could actually become friends," he drawled sarcastically, pouring the whiskey into three glasses. Neo tried to take the bottle, but he just moved it out of her reach. "Not you. You might be over eighteen but you're not getting drunk until you move out of _my_ house. Or office, whatever." Still keeping an eye on the multicoloured girl, he handed two glasses to Mercury and Emerald, who took them with scoffs.

"So, any idea _what_ has gone wrong this time?" he asked, holding up his own and taking a hearty sip. "Did any of you mess up something _I_ have to clean again?"

Mercury downed his glass in one go, and glanced at Emerald. Not wanting to be outclassed by the smug assassin, she too drank it all in one swing, although she had a hacking coughing fit immediately afterwards. With an obnoxious smirk, Mercury turned to Roman. "No idea, must be something you did, 'cause we did nothing wrong."

"Except for accepting poisoned whiskey from an old thief like me," corrected the man.

"Except for accepting poisoned whiskey from…" Mercury's eyes widened as Roman grinned like a shark.

"You shouldn't underestimate a criminal mastermind, my dear Merc, it'll make you end up in trouble, one day." His grin widened. "Or rather… today."

"But… but you drank it!" protested Emerald even as both started to feel burning pain spreading from their stomachs. Damn, it was a fast poison, and it hurt too… "You drank it!"

Roman scoffed and Neo held out a little vial of transparent liquid. "Morons, I drank the antidote before drinking poison," he stated matter-of-factly. "Do you really think I would've drunk poison as well? Argh!" He clutched his stomach in pain. "Fuck, Neo, I thought you put the antidote in the glass!"

Neo blinked.

Roman straightened immediately. "Nah, I can't even fake it, I'm sorry, I guess I'm just not poiso-" He looked at the two dead bodies on the floor. "I should stop talking with myself, it's not a healthy habit."

Neo nodded.

"Well, I guess now it's just waiting, right?" The thief sighed and kicked Emerald's body, making it roll over. Without even caring for the trail of green bile leaking from her mouth, he swiped her Scroll from her pocket and opened it up. "Let's see if Death is really all she claims to be. And she'd better survive Cinder, or I'm killing her myself."

Neo tilted her head on the side.

"It's just a saying, Neo, I'm not going to fight Death." He shivered. "Not now, not ever. Although Neo, shouldn't you go now?"

/-/

Cinder Fall was not in a good mood, so she cut to the chase.

"So you are one of the famous Wraiths," she drawled. "Usually, I would've loved to meet someone as important in Beacon as you are, but at the moment I'm just not in the mood, so I'll just say this once: leave me alone. You can meet me in my dorm tomorrow. Leave, or join my side. There is no other choice. Or rather, the third choice is to die."

 **"You are arrogant, Cinder Fall, just as I've been told,"** said the Wraith, her distorted voice doing nothing to lessen Cinder's headache. **"But your presence in Beacon might threaten the Trail of Blood. This cannot happen. I shall stop you, or kill you. The choice, is yours."**

Despite her headache, Cinder burst out laughing. " _You_ , killing _me?_ " She grinned viciously. "Dear, I think you don't know who you are dealing with. I could incinerate you and blow your ashes away without as much as breaking a sweat."

 **"Your arrogance is great, but unfounded. You do not know my power, and you are just making assumptions."** Her cloak moved as the Wraith began to circle the woman like a predator stalking her prey. Ironic, since Cinder was pretty sure it was the other way around, that she was the predator. **"You rely on your raw power to defeat skill, finesse and intelligence, all traits you are devoid of. You are not just underestimating me… You are overestimating your own strength, Cinder Fall. I thought you would have been a powerful warrior… apparently, I was wrong."**

"Who are you?" asked Cinder, clenching her fists. "So I know what to write on your tombstone."

 **"Your threats are empty, as is your courage. You are no warrior, you are just a woman who has more power than she can handle, and thinks herself invincible."** The Wraith pulled out a serrated scythe from her cloak. **"Then let the Death, the Supreme Wraith, teach you what true power is, and let the battle of flaming rage begin."**

Cinder scoffed. "Getting poetic, now?"

 **"Mine was a mere accentuation, Cinder Fall, as I know of your powers."** Death continued to circle her as she spoke. **"Stolen by a Maiden, still rough and untrained, so great and yet… so unstable."**

Cinder's eyes widened before she summoned her twin swords. She plunged one into the concrete and brought out her Scroll, quickly typing a number. "Emerald, Mercury, come immediately. Our cover might've been blown. I'm taking care of this problem, then we'll have to plan a contingency in case we have indeed been found out."

"Just two words, Cindie," a honeyed voice came from the speaker, and the woman almost dropped her Scroll in shock. "Get bent."

With that, Roman Torchwick shut the Scroll onto her face.

Cinder Fall growled in fury, her Scroll melting from the sheer heat, and then she heard the Wraith chuckled. Looking up with flaming eyes, she was shocked to see a little girl, Roman's daughter, smirking at her and holding up a Scroll, the red light on top of it telling her everything she needed to know.

 **"Can you see, now, what I meant? You have no prowess… just raw power without control over it."** The black-clad figure chuckled again, the sound distorted just like her voice. **"You are not smart, or you would have expected a trick. Instead, all you can do now is to face Death and bow to her."**

Cinder barely had time to pull up her sword before the Wraith was before her, swinging down with both hands. Her eyes widened when the scythe went _through_ her glass swords and her body, but she still her her Aura being chipped away. "So it has to be on speed, uh?" she glared at the figure, jumping back just in time to avoid a slash from a bladed parasol. "Fine. You two are speedsters, but I am both fast and powerful. I shall crush you."

With a burst of flames, she bolted for Death, hoping to take her out first. The Wraith merely switched her scythe to a long and serrated spear, and when she brought her two weapons down, she was met with the shaft. This time, though, no matter was bypassed and she was pushed back just in time for the midget to attack. Her reply came in the form of a burst of flames that both hurt and pushed back the two combatants. "You cannot hope to win against me! I hold a power only a Demigod can wield!"

 **"And that power shall be your downfall,"** replied Death, no worry in her twisted voice. **"Even now you are thinking with your swords, and not with your mind. You shall be forever trapped in Death for your mistakes."**

"Your poetry is pathetic!" exclaimed the woman, assaulting her with a flurry of slashes, few of which were blocked. Confident in having the upper hand, she went for another slash, but the Wraith replied by running _through_ her. She expected cold, but instead she felt nothing. She grinned. No ghost, then. Not like she had ever believed the rumour in the first place.

She turned around with a horizontal slash, her other hand ready to blast fire at Death, but the Wraith wasn't there any more. Instead, she was thirty yards away, with a bow in her hands, and five black Aura arrows notched on the Aura string. **"As I said, you think with your swords,"** she remarked once again before letting loose a hail of arrows at her. Each arrow exploded on contact, but only one of them actually hit her directly. The others were just destroyed in mid-flight or dodged. She smugly grinned at her opponent, but something told her it wasn't over. **"You focused on me… that was a mistake."**

Before she could even realize it, the False Maiden found herself on the receiving end of Neo's blade. The midget slashed at her repeatedly, a psychopathic grin on her face, before kicking her one last time. Cinder Fall rose again, her flames flaring with rage. "You… how dare you think you can defeat me!" she howled, letting loose a stream of fire at the girl.

Who just waved before her illusion shattered.

 **"You have a one-track mind, Cinder Fall. A grave flaw for a warrior."** Death's voice was the only warning she received before a powerful and painful slash sent her to the ground once more. Avoiding the Wraith's follow-up, she rolled back up and growled.

"You think you can defeat me?" Her flames burned brighter, now creating a shield around her. "This is nothing compared to my real power."

 **"I never stated I would fight you to the end,"** corrected the Wraith. For the first time, there was real mirth in her voice. _'That thing is_ _ **amused?!**_ _'_ growled the Maiden. **"Once again, your mediocre intelligence has betrayed you. You never see the larger picture. I will not be your opponent today… they will."**

Cinder's blood ran cold as she slowly turned around.

Medias Chrono Ozpin, a fearsome scowl on his face, and his cane in his hands.

Qrow Brawnen, for once not drunk, his weapon deployed as scythe.

Glynda Goodwitch, eyes blazing and several boulders behind her, lifted by her Semblance.

She blanched.

 ** _Yessssss, it's so good to make Cinderbitch suffer._**

 ** _So, reason of the unplanned hiatus: I got bored, and wandered off to write some other fics. You might've noticed, eheh. Reason I was bored: in the original version of this chapter, Mercury and Emerald didn't die. So no death, no fun, right?_**

 ** _Well, I hope you enjoyed. And no, it really isn't arrogance on Pyrrha's part. If she went up against the woman who killed Ozpin in 10.4 seconds (not precise measure), then she would go up against the Wraiths._**

 ** _Leave a review and tell me how you liked this._**

 ** _Until next death... I mean, until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**

 ** _PS: yes, I changed my username, it's okay. I use the full name now._**


	40. Death Lotus

**_Okay, we get to Ren's chapter and the chapter you were waiting for. Eh, I planned to update this on Halloween, but I guess I won't. I was thinking that I might possibly write a oneshot for Halloween or... wait, I know. I already said that this story will have 2 endings, right? Nope, I change it. For Halloween I will try to write the tragic ending, and keep the "light" one for this story. That's what I'm gonna do, 'kay? Good. Now, onto the chapter._**

Lie Ren had always been a calm person. Most people guessed as much as soon as they laid their eyes on him, but his calmness ran deeper than what people could see. He was not just good at handling his emotions, hiding them and suppressing them. He was good at _feeling_ them. In most cases, Lie Ren did not quench his anger, he merely decided _not_ to feel it. He had practised his control over his emotions so much and for so long that it was second nature, for him, to handle them. His Semblance had obviously helped, but even then he rarely used it, especially on himself.

Lie Ren's emotions were running wild.

Uncontrolled, untamed, fierce emotions that trampled everything else. If the wrath of a patient man was to be feared, so was the breakdown of an unflappable Huntsman. Lie Ren had never been good with emotions, and that was one of the reason he so often relied on handling them before they could surface. He knew of Nora's love for him, but he didn't know how to handle it. He knew of his own feelings toward the short redhead, but he had always pushed them down before they could reach his conscious mind.

His breakdown allowed all those emotions to pour out. There was no finesse, no calm and no control in his hits. The droids were hacked to pieces and replaced with more droids. His blade came down onto metal and cut through it with the sheer force of the hit, and his bullets easily pierced the lightly armoured bots.

His anger fuelled his strikes, anger at the Wraith, at the Headmaster, at Jaune's bullies, and even at Jaune himself. His fear fuelled his dodges, fear of the Trail and fear for Jaune and all his friends. His anxiety fuelled his reflexes, making him as jumpy as he had been over the last days. His mourning fuelled his aim, mourning for everything they had lost, everything they would lose, and all the hurt they suffered. But it was love what fuelled his energy. For the first time in years, Ren was feeling his emotions fully, and it was as addictingly exhilarating as it was dangerous. He didn't know how to handle them, but his feelings were there nonetheless.

He loved Nora, he had come to terms with that revelation a long time ago.

He just loved how carefree and genuine Nora was, but at the same time he loved how she could keep all the hurt and despair and misery she had gone through. She hardly was like the terrified girl he had saved all those years ago any more. She had matured in more ways than one, and she had turned into a force to be reckoned. She was cheerful, serene, and she was just so… so… so _Nora_. He had always known what his heart had tried to tell him. He knew it, and he had accepted it. Just like he had decided to not act on it. He didn't trust himself to handle feelings.

Ren loved Nora. And for years, he had never acted on it.

He knew she would've said yes in a heartbeat. He knew the two of them had the chance to be happy together. He knew what could've come from his decisions. Yet, Lie Ren had always stopped his love from even surfacing, because he couldn't handle it.

But after his breakdown… he frowned as he remembered his deeds. It was too late to back down, he had done it. He had left a note for Nora… he had confessed in the most cowardly way possible to the person he valued most in the entire damn universe. Remnant could burn, for all he cared, as long as he had Nora. She was his sun, his moon, his stars, his damn whole galaxy, and he had confessed with a note.

The final droid was bisected with a slash.

He hated it. He hated how his emotions were running rampant and there was nothing he could do to stop them. His heart clenched whenever he thought of the Wraiths, hurt when he thought about Jaune, and skipped beats erratically when his thoughts landed on Nora. His control had shattered, as if it had never been there at all.

He gripped his weapon tighter as he looked down at it.

It was a long katana, green with lighter accents on the sharp edge. He used it swiftly and flawlessly, yet it was so different from Storm Flowers. It also had another mode, one suggested by what he could only call his inner psychopath. The blade folding, the guard deploying, it could turn into an assault rifle with a very high fire rate. He had actually _laughed_ like a madman when he had mowed down three bots with that rifle. His emotions had taken over and there was no stopping them.

He had called his weapon Death Lotus.

Normally, he would've never given such a name to his weapons. But Nora had suggested it, and his traitorous heart refused to let go of the name. Any other name was trash to him, because Nora had chosen Death Lotus. To him, the name had been set ever since Nora thought of it.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead, and left the training rooms.

/-from the notes of Jaune Arc-/

 _Lie Ren_

 _5' 11''. Black hair with pink lock. Pink eyes. Colour theme: green. Calm. Relaxed. Serious. Struggling with emotions. Loyal. Quiet. Determined. Weapon: Death Lotus (katana/assault rifle hybrid. Katana: 5' per 5'' per 2'', Air Dust and steel alloy. Rifle: 8'' per 3' 2'' per 2'', Air Dust rounds from inner Air Dust generator, as well as possibly casings for different Dust rounds). Fighting style: martial arts, agility and speed over strength, outmanoeuvring the enemy. Semblance: Hide from Grimm._

/-/

Ayace Timber was not having a good day.

After removing the corpse from his office's ceiling, the Headmaster had tried to get some paperwork done, but the fire and explosions coming from the courtyard had distracted him from his duty. Ozpin had messaged him to tell him the problem was being taken care of, but Timber was not happy with how long it was taking them. Had they been in the army, he would have them punished for such delay. Even if Ozpin had gone alone, he should've handled the situation in little more than a few minutes.

Then his elevator's door dinged and opened, letting in one of the people he liked the least at the moment. "Torchwick…" he growled. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm a Professor here, _sir_ , I should be allowed to speak with you. Plus I'm pretty sure you would like to know more about what is going on down there, am I right?" The former thief grinned as he fell down onto a chair. "I can tell you, if you want. And it's even going to be _free_ information, it's not like you have anything I could ever need…"

Timber found himself interested despite his own instincts yelling him not to trust the man. "Torchwick-"

" _Professor_ Torchwick, please," interrupted the crook. "I worked _so hard_ for that title, I'd like you to remember it."

" _Professor Torchwick_ ," continued the Headmaster, gritting his teeth in anger. "I do not have time for your little mind games, nor do I have the patience for them. And I am currently in the worst mood you could've found me in. I have paperwork that needs to be done, and it needs to be done _immediately_. Leave now."

"I have no intention in leaving at the moment, so I think I'll just indulge myself with a little bit of idle talk. Besides, what harm can come out of this?" The umpteenth flaring fire in the courtyard made him cringe. "Well, except for that, of course. But anyway, before I tell you everything about what's going on downstairs… I need to ask you a question."

"Torchwick…"

"Again, _Professor_ Torchwick, thank you very little," Roman remarked dryly. "But before this question… you have ordered your little toy soldier to kill my son. The Wraith have killed your soldier, but this does not change anything. If your soldier had succeeded, my son's death would be on you."

"I care not for the safety of a criminal's son, but for the safety of this school as a whole!" exclaimed Timber, rising from his seat. "I did what had to be done! If removing Mr Arc from the school's premises had ended unsuccessfully yes, he had permission to shoot on sight. If your 'son' is a danger to _my_ school, then he has to be eliminated!"

He had expected Roman to get angry. Maybe even to attack him. That would've been actually welcome as an unjustified attack would've been enough to have him fired and, subsequently, arrested for his crimes. But the old thief didn't attack him, nor did he get angry. Quite the opposite, he seemed to be pleased, even.

"Tell me, Headmaster, which is your favourite fairytale?"

/-/

Cinder's headache had reached its peak. It couldn't get any worse.

She dodged another slash from Qrow's scythe, careful to avoid the follow-up as well, and used a fire blast to stop both Ozpin's cane and the rocks thrown by Goodwitch. Her Aura was in the lower yellow, and she was pretty sure they were just starting. With just half of the Maiden's powers, against the three veteran Hunters, she knew she would have a rough fight.

She just hadn't imagined it would be _that_ rough.

Qrow barely minded her slash at his midsection, instead opting for yet another slash, which she dodged again. Unfortunately, her foot slipped at the last second, and the only thing she could do as the scythe crashed into her side was growl in fury. Not even a second later, Ozpin joined the fight again, bashing the back of her neck with his cane.

They weren't fighting her. They were _playing_ with her.

"Is this everything the murderer of Amber can do?" sneered Qrow, resting his scythe on his shoulder. "Not so tough now that your opponents are actually fighting back, and aren't being held down by your lackeys, uh? 'Cause last I heard, you weren't one to fight out in the open…"

"You bastar-"

"Apparently, she seems to have picked up some habits from you, Qrow," Goodwitch quipped with a grin. Those bastards were _enjoying_ beating her down! "Like moving like a drunk and swearing."

"Hey, my swearing is way more original," countered Qrow, laughing at her. "Don't you dare compare me to this harlot!"

"I will kil-" Cinder's threat was interrupted as Ozpin's cane sank into her stomach, robbing her of all air. She managed to roll with it and blast the man back with her fire, but it was getting harder and harder to use her powers. "I will kill you all!"

 **"So much strength, and so little control…"** She growled as she looked at the Wraith, who was lazily standing on the outskirts of the fight. The little midget had disappeared, but the fact she hadn't received any unexpected slashes were a sign she wasn't in the fight any more. But Death was still there, even if she did absolutely nothing. Even when Goodwitch had tossed Cinder quite literally at her feet, the Wraith had merely stepped aside and allowed the Hunters to continue with their job. **"But your biggest flaw is still looking at who is not your opponent, Cinder Fall."**

Her eyes widened and she looked back just in time to see Qrow coming down on her with his weapon, now in sword mode, held with both hands. Knowing that she couldn't dodge so late, she summoned her glass swords and blocked the strike, wincing as he knees buckled. Not even a second later, a Dust explosion courtesy of Goodwitch had slammed her into a wall, cracking it. She wondered how no student was around, but she shelved the thought for later.

She had the power of a Maiden, or at least half of it, she could defeat three old wrecks!

Alas, they thought otherwise. Their teamwork wasn't very good, but each of them was a powerhouse on their own. No matter, she would still kill them. It wasn't the entrance she had wished for when she had first arrived to Beacon, but she couldn't allow her cover to be blown. And even if Roman's daughter actually ruined her disguise, at least she would have the pleasure to kill three Hunters. Three very annoying Hunters.

"To be honest, I was kinda expecting more, y'know?" Qrow mocked her as he calmly walked over, his sword resting on his shoulder again. "It's like paying for a Vacuan Whiskey, and getting a cheap ass PepSchnee two days old."

"Maybe the little missy is tired from her fight with the Wraith," echoed Goodwitch, her stern expression at odd with the viciously amused voice she was using. "Too bad this lesson does not allow for breaks."

Ozpin, at least, didn't play around. "I know who sent you, and I won't tell you that you've made a mistake in trusting her, since I know you won't listen to me," he glowered at her. "You hurt and almost killed Amber, a friend of mine. You threatened my entire school, and maybe even Vale itself. Your disregard for human and Faunus lives is revolting. General Ironwood is arriving in a few days, and you will be taken captive by him. He will know how to make you talk. Until then, you will be watched twenty four seven by one of us. You will soon find out that allying with evil doesn't always yield good results."

"Said the one relying on a Wraith to help him," she growled back, crawling out of the hole in the wall.

 **"Our alliance is an unstable and temporary agreement,"** stated Death, somehow having walked closer and now standing not too far from Cinder herself. **"Our deal shall end with you."**

Cinder growled and bolted for Ozpin, hoping to take out the head of the Kind Tajitsu before it was too late. Her Aura was almost in the red now, and she knew she would need to be quick if she wanted to defeat the three Hunters and the Wraith, whatever it was.

It never went through her mind that she might've been fighting a losing battle.

Ozpin reacted by merely stepping back as a blade far larger than her own intercepted the False Maiden in mid-air, almost shattering her Aura and sending her crashing to the ground. She stood up again, Death behind her and the three Hunters before her, growling. Her Aura was almost gone, but it would take much more than just a shattered Aura to defeat Cinder Fall.

She stood up and glared at the three Hunters. They wouldn't stop her. No one had stopped her before, and they would just die trying like all the others. Then she would have all the time she needed to find the Maiden and take the rest of her rightful powers. She alone was worthy of those powers. No one else. Because she was Cinder Fall.

She didn't care if she couldn't even summon her swords, she was powerful. She didn't care if the Maiden's powers weren't replying to her commands any more, she was strong. She didn't care about the three pathetically mighty Hunters before her, she was invincible. She didn't care about the Wraith behind her, she was unbeatable, even by Death itself. She didn't care about the deaths of Mercury and Emerald, she was strong enough on her own. She didn't care about Torchwick's betrayal, she was powerful enough to make him pay. She didn't care about the surprised expression on the three before her, she was above them. She didn't care about the shouts of ' _NO!_ ' from the three, she was superior.

 **"Reap her soul, Mortem."**

There was a flash of black and white light, and her head found itself rolling on the ground, detached from her body. And then Cinder Fall…

She was dead.

 ** _Wow, took you long enough to realize it, uh Cindie?_**

 ** _Ah, that felt so very satisfying. Killing off my most hated character in the entire show always makes my day. So... wow, Roman is giving the Talk to Timber, seriously? Or is it just for shits'n'giggles? Meh, who knows, I just wanted to write it._**

 ** _Also, who would've expected Ren to behave like that? He really doesn't know how to handle his own emotions, huh?_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	41. Rosarium

**_Okay, this is a weird chapter. The mystery is solved. Longer AN at the end, and explanation. Oh, and there's also humour in this... Weird, right?_**

Ruby Rose only held determination in her eyes as she mowed down the umpteenth Wraith-like droid, unaware of the drama unfolding in the rest of the school. Unlike the others, she was at peace. Well, relatively so, at least. She was sure they would solve the problem and get Jaune back. It was only a matter of time.

Weiss had run out of collectedness.

 _Slash_.

Blake had lost her calmness.

 _Hack_.

Yang had lost her cheer.

 _Swing_.

Nora had lost her carefree attitude.

 _Slash_.

Pyrrha had lost her politeness.

 _Bang_.

Ren had lost his control over his emotions.

 _Slash_.

 _Beeeeep_.

But Ruby hadn't lost an ounce of her willpower.

She resetted the arena and three more droids walked into the arena. That was stupid, she knew it, since the Wraiths could actually turn immaterial while those droids couldn't, but she wouldn't allow that to disrupt her will. Everyone else was moody, but not her.

Why should she have been moody?

She had Jaune.

The others wouldn't understand. Couldn't understand. She herself hadn't understood until Jaune had told her at the ruins.

 _"I will_ _ **always**_ _find my way back to you. And an Arc never goes back on his word."_

 _'I'm sure you will,'_ she thought with a smile. After all, an Arc never went back on his word.

She continued to hack through the droids, but there was no overwhelming emotion in her movements. The others were stressed to no end by the Trail, but she knew the truth. Jaune himself wanted them to follow the Trail, and so they would. She would find Jaune and then, as she promised to herself, she would never let him go ever again.

Eh, besides, why would she need to? He loved her back…

She absent-mindedly bisected a droid as she smiled. That never failed to cheer her up. He loved her back. Well, she hadn't exactly expected him to be so direct, nor she had expected to be that bold herself, but she couldn't say she hadn't liked it.

Hell yeah, she had _surely_ liked it.

Although she had loved Yang's face when she had told her as well. For once she hadn't been her usual overprotective self. She had just gaped at her for five seconds straight, and then collapsed on the floor, out like a lightbulb. They had laughed for the first time in days. They had really been in need of a laugh.

Her weapon cut through another droid, the last one, and she stopped. She wasn't too tired, but it was getting late and she didn't want to be sleepy the next day. She stopped at the control panel just enough to deactivate the arena, and made to leave. Then she stopped.

In the darkness, there was something.

Switching the light back on, she sighed in relief as she saw a cleaning droid walking in the arena to sweep away the remains of its brothers. It had been just a mere droid. She had almost used her new weapon on it.

Speaking of her new weapon… she looked down at it and her smile fell. She still had Crescent Rose in her locker, so it wasn't in disappointment at having a weapon she didn't like. No, it was more… worry. Her new weapon was exactly like her old one, but a second blade had been added under the first. A second, smaller, _serrated_ blade.

When she had first forged it, she had been thinking about Jaune's Eclipsim and his symbol, the double crescents. She had giggled every time she had thought about it. Double crescents, Crescent Rose, a rose. Apparently, even their symbols thought they should've gotten together. But then… she had remembered the symbol they had seen as signature of the initial blood messages. A scythe with two blades. In a way, she was wielding the Wraith's symbol. That both worried and amused her. She was worried they might be angered by it, but she was amused by the thought of defeating them with their own symbol.

To stick to the theme, she had called it Rosarium.

With a relieving sigh, she left the Arena.

/-from the notes of Jaune Arc-/

 _Ruby Rose_

 _5' 5''. Black hair with red tips. Silver eyes. Human. Colour theme: black and red. Cheerful. Hopeful. Determined. Serene. Weapon: Rosarium (scythe/sniper rifle hybrid. Scythe: 7' 3'' per 4' 4'' per 3'', Gravity Dust and steel alloy to make it lighter. Double blades, second of which serrated. Sniper rifle: 5' 3'' per 8'' per 3'', 56 calibre, Dust rounds as well as automatically generated common rounds by inner Fire Dust generator). Fighting style: speed over strength, wide swings to compensate for lack of strength, rifle at long distances. Semblance: speed._

 _J. A. Note: I just realized I love her._

 _J. A. Note 2: yep, I totally love her. I just hope I haven't gotten her pregnant… although I wouldn't be really against it if that turned out to be the case._

/-/

Death calmly faced off Ozpin, Qrow and Goodwitch without as much as showing nervousness. The four of them had been locked in a staring match for the previous ten minutes, but in the end Qrow's patience had worn thin.

"So, you're the bastard who's been making my nieces sad, huh?" he snorted. "I kind of expected you be… better. I mean, the fucking cliché of the black theme is overused, y'know?"

"Qrow!" Goodwitch hissed.

"Plus come on, you even had the 'uncaring badass' down when we were beating that bitch down," he continued. "Have you ever watched a horror movie? 'Cause you dress and act like the villain."

"Qrow…" This time it was Ozpin.

"And that's without taking into consideration your voice," Qrow added almost as an afterthought. "I mean, it's clear you are straining it to make it weird, and that's just trying too hard…"

"Qrow!" both Hunters exclaimed.

 **"My choice of clothing has nothing to do with 'clichés' or 'horror movies',"** Death replied calmly. **"As for my voice, it is just the way I speak. I can assure you, I am not straining it in any way."**

"Sure, as if _that_ is how voices normally are," Qrow huffed, annoyed. "But anyway, how's that you're still here? How's that you haven't gone running?"

Death seemed to consider the idea for a second. **"I imagined you would have had questions. Apparently, I was wrong,"** she replied, staring down at Cinder's corpse. **"Since it appears your minds are clear, I shall depart, then. And I can assure you, I mean no harm to one of your nieces. But if the other gets in my way, she** _ **will**_ **be taken care of."**

"You bast-" Qrow was cut off by Ozpin's cane sinking into his stomach.

"We do have questions, but I fear you won't answer any of them," he replied evenly. "Although maybe you will reply this one doubt of mine… if we allow you to continue, and if no one hinders your path, will you kill anyone else?"

Death chuckled once. **"Leave it to dear Ozpin to ask the most useful and useless question,"** she stated slowly. **"We will kill two more. One of them is being taken care of at this very moment. The other shall soon follow. Both deserve their fate. Neither shall be spared. But aside from them, it is not in my intention to harm any other student."**

Ozpin sighed as Death slipped away through a wall, fully aware of Glynda's and Qrow's glares. "She had Jaune Arc, and her 'underlings' could harm more students," he explained tensely. "We cannot harm her now. We must wait."

"If that thing harms Ruby or Yang, it's done for," Qrow growled, sheathing his sword on his back.

"I'm sure Death won't do anything like that," Ozpin replied. "We just have to have faith."

/-/

"…And so, because my _former_ boss wanted to destroy the school to take the Maiden's powers, the Wraiths chose to get rid of her. Permanently," Roman finished his tale, gesturing to the courtyard with his cigar. "Now, Ayace, don't you agree this all makes sense?"

Timber didn't reply. He couldn't reply. Bound and gagged, with a bicoloured midget bitch happily pouring oil on him, he laid helplessly on the floor. Nevertheless, the former thief continued as if nothing had happened.

"So, since I'm sure you've understood this whole thing, I'll say this just once. I want to tell you who the Wraiths are," Roman grinned as he took out his lighter. "I'm sure you will find it… _enlightening_. Just so you know, the Wraiths are-"

"Friends of yours," a voice came from the elevator. Roman turned and sighed, rubbing his forehead. Red, whatever her name was, was standing on the doorway. Fortunately the desk hid Timber's body from her sight, but nonetheless it was better not to tempt fate.

He glanced at Neo. "Is she a friend of Jaune's? Is that why you allowed her in?"

Neo put out a hand and tilted it left and right. _More or less_. Then she pointed at Ruby, she made a circle with her right thumb and index, and poked through it with her left index. And then she signed _J_ in the sign language. She repeated the whole process twice to be sure Roman could understand, but that wasn't needed. He was just in shock.

"She _screwed_ my son?!" he exclaimed, making Ruby turn as red as her cape while Neo nodded with a happy smile on her face. "Did they use protection, at least?!" Neo thought about it, but then shook her head. Roman wailed and hid his hand into his hands. "I'm too young to become grandfather…"

"I-I took the pill!" Ruby squeaked, almost drowning in her own embarrassment. "I-I'm not p-p-pregnant!"

Roman moved his fingers to peek at her with suspicion, but then he sighed and removed his hands. "I'm doomed," he stated dramatically, and Neo nodded enthusiastically. "Fine, since you're here, I'll explain this just once. Have you ever heard of MPD?"

Timber tried to mumbled something, but a sharp kick from Neo shut him up. Ruby had to think about it. "My Personal Dessert?" she offered, but when she saw Roman's sweatdrop she hurried to correct herself. "I mean… I don't know!"

Roman facepalmed and just told her. "MPD stands for Multiple Personality Disorder, where multiple personalities reside within the same physical body."

"Ooooh… like Blake's book about a man with two souls, right?" Ruby nodded along.

Roman narrowed his eyes. "I'm pretty sure that's another thing. Anyway, it's a psychopathology, thus a mental illness. When the affected doesn't have his Aura unlocked, it just manifests in different behaviours or even living multiple lives, each different and separate from the others. But when Aura comes in…" He trailed off, looking out of the window. "The personalities become real people trapped within one body. Each of them has a personal Aura reserve. It makes it easier to cure but it makes it more dangerous."

"Are you saying the Wraiths are all just one person?" Ruby asked, confused. It was true that they had never seen two Wraiths at the same time, but still… "Wait, I don't understand."

"Neither did I, at first. The Wraiths aren't different people dressed identically, they are the same person with multiple personalities, each of them extreme," Roman repeated. "They had Aura so these personalities basically gained independent sentience and fight for control over the body."

"So… what?"

"So the Wraiths are one person with multiple personalities." She nodded slowly. "And Aura both made it worse and better."

"How so?"

"Normally, multiple personalities aren't real people. I mean, they are hidden sides of the same person. With Aura they basically gain souls of their own, spin-offs of the original soul," Roman continued, ignoring Timber's gagged sounds. Neo kicked him again, the movement hidden from Ruby's view. "They gain souls, and each of them has an Aura they can use while in control of the body."

"So…"

"Please, don't interrupt my lesson," Roman drawled sarcastically. "So it's worse 'cause _every one_ of them has Aura to protect themselves. But it's better 'cause it makes the psychopathology easier to cure. Completely depleting the Aura of a personality kills it. Instantly."

"I-I don't understand…"

"You will, later." Roman glanced at the still bound Timber. "Go to my office and wait me there. I don't have time for this now. I'll join you soon."

Ruby's eyes went to Timber's empty desk. She was pretty sure the two of them were up to something. She didn't want to step forwards or it would've probably made Torchwick suspicious, and she really didn't want to get on his bad side. "Come on, I'm just burning down the idiot's desk," Roman sighed exasperated. "We went in the courtyard to fight whatever battle they fought. It's just a harmless prank. Aren't you kids supposed to prank others all the time?"

She nodded slowly and walked out of the room. In the elevator, she hesitated only for a second. She looked at the thief, and pressed the button.

Roman was smirking as the door closed. "Red, I'll let you know I approve of you with my son!" he called out at the last second. Unfortunately he was not able to see her face, but he knew it would've been priceless.

Then he lost his smirk and turned to the still bound and covered in oil Timber, opening his lighter. "Now… Let's brighten up the atmosphere," he said, kneeling beside the Headmaster. "You ordered your little toy soldier to kill my son. That's not something I appreciated. Not at all."

The flame neared Timber's skin as he desperately tried to break free of his restraints, but his fight with both Roman and Torchwick had completely depleted his Aura. "Now, I don't give a damn about Beacon, or Vale, or the students. There are only three people I care about in this damn whole world. One is my daughter, Neo." Neo waved with a vicious cheerfulness. "Another is Jaune, my son. And the last is his little lover, Red or Ross or Ruby or whatever she's called. Did I mention your name on the list?"

Roman chuckled. "No, I didn't. I killed two other people today, and helped kill a third. I have several murders on my record. Killing you won't keep me awake at night. If anything, I'll sleep better." He grinned. "So let's see if your surname is as apt as I think it is…"

He brought his lighter near Ayace's feet, and the oil took effect instantly, igniting in a second and spreading the fire fast. Roman stood up and stepped back, enjoying Timber's silent screams for a few seconds, before he sighed and headed out of the door, leaving Neo to record the fireworks. "As much as I'd love to stick around, I fear I have more important things to do than to watch an imbecile die."

He practically _skipped_ back to his office, sure that even if the fire burned Timber's gag up, Neo would made sure no sounds came forth. She would also take care of the body. Ah, the wonders his daughter could perform always surprised him. After all, he had taught her himself.

He opened his office's door with a cheerful whistle. Punishing those who hurt his family would always be one of his favourite hobbies. He stepped in and closed the door behind him, and then he froze in shock as he took in the scene before him.

There was Ruby Rose, in just her underwear, bra and skirt, her legs locked around the other person's waist. And there was Jaune Arc, whose black cloak, mask and jacket had been abandoned on the floor, leaving him bare-chested. The two of them were also very obviously making out, groping each other and on the brink of going at it. As Roman cleared his throat they detached, and he almost expected a _pop_. Instead, Jaune laughed nervously. "Hey dad…" He looked at a very red Ruby. "Uh… I can explain?"

Roman Torchwick sighed explosively.

 ** _Oh my god that was good... So..._**

 ** _*glances at the readers, who are waiting for an explanation* Uh... next chapter? *dodges heavy artillery fire* Fine, fine! I'll explain!_**

 ** _Jokes aside, this has been a very anticlimatic way of disclosing the secret. Some of you already knew (some ever since Chapter 2 or 3...), some of you didn't. Maybe. I don't know, I'm just gonna explain it._**

 ** _So... Jaune is indeed affected by MPD/DID (Multiple Personality Disorder/Dissociative Identity Disorder). But it's not just that. HIS other personality is Death... and then Death has MPD as well. Crazy, I know, a psychopathology being affected by a psychopathology. That's why Death is the Supreme Wraith, 'cause the others are 'spin-offs' of Death's soul. So Jaune only has Death as his alternative personality._**

 ** _And yes, Aura messes up MPD big time. Anyway, moving on, it's like Oscar/Ozpin situation. More souls in just one body. Is it complex and near-impossible? Yeah, but then again all of Remnant is. And Immateriality is Jaune's Semblance, as mentioned in Chapter 1. To be honest I don't know what else to explain, so... if you have a question, I'll reply, and if that question is something very important then I'll also answer it in the next AN._**

 ** _Tell me what you think._**

 ** _EDIT: I forgot to tell you... next chapter is The Death of a Wizard. Yay, right? Right? Eh? Eh? Eh?_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	42. The Death of a Wizard

**_Whew, new chapter. Got nothing to say except a joke and a warning. The joke is that I'm thinking my brother has some kind of psyichic powers. He can talk for hours straight ONLY about the subjects I hate. It's like he reads my mind. And he doesn't even stop when I tell him "[my brother's name], I am NOT interested!". Or he has the gall to try and teach me how I should write fics when 1) he himself always states to be horrible at writing and 2) he has NEVER read a fanfiction. It's three weeks I have a headache EVERY DAMN DAY because he never stops talking about his damn videogames and games while he perfectly knows that my defition of "ideal free time" is WRITING! I stopped playing games two fucking years ago! Get it, moronic brother!_**

 ** _Anyway, as for the warning, skip what Torment does to his victim if you are weak in the stomach._**

The four people stood in the room, an awkward silence between them.

Roman Torchwick was just holding his head with his hands, having just explained the whole thing. It wasn't exactly how he had envisioned spending the rest of the day. He had hoped to relax after killing three people -a very satisfying action, if he had to be honest-, but instead Fate had decided to throw in a very awkward situation _and_ the additional explanation to Little Red. Oh well, at least now he knew his son's little lover's name.

When life gives you lemons, make a lemonade. When life gives you nothing, say you're not thirsty anyway.

Neopolitan Torchwick's grin was inches away from splitting her head in two. She was basically shaking with enthusiasm at meeting her brother's little lover, and for once she hadn't been sweetly psychopathic but just sweet. Plus of course she still had to let go of her brother's arm, but that was beside the point.

The only reason why she wasn't speaking at hyper-speed, asking questions, was because she couldn't.

Ruby Rose was no more blushing, instead sitting on a chair with a heavyhearted expression on her face. She was biting her lip hard, eyes darting between Roman and Jaune. And then there was Jaune Arc Torchwick himself, dressed in a dark blue suit Roman had lent him. He was looking at the wall, but he never let go of Ruby's hand all thorough the explanation.

"S-So he…"

"He suffers from a psychopathology that split his personality into two. All the negativity piled up and created the Wraith Death," nodded Roman. "But at least, doing so relieved Jauney of a bit of negativity himself. Then, for some reason, Death herself split her personality in several more…"

"The other Wraiths," Jaune supplied unhelpfully.

"…so she apparently suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder as well," completed the former thief. "I know, a psychopathology suffering itself from a psychopathology, it's unbelievably weird, but Remnant _is_ a weird world. Do you have any question, Red?"

"I-I…" Ruby sighed as she brought a hand to rub her head. All her determination had done so very much, huh? Nothing. It did a damn fat nothing. "I'm confused… I'm just so very confused… I don't know what to do… I thought it was all simple, I thought I just had to follow the Trail up to Jaune, but if the Wraiths _are_ Jaune…"

"Nothing changes, Ruby," he told her softly, making her look at him. There were no tears in her eyes, but exhaustion. She was just so tired of the whole ordeal and to be honest, so was he. But Death's grip on him was too strong to be broken just yet. He would need more time. If compared to how he had been at the start of the Trail, he was basically free, but he still had to fight. "You are almost done. Just… just hold on. Please. I _need_ you to hold on. I am almost free, don't give up now."

Ruby smiled a little through the fatigue and embraced him. Neo was basically hopping on the spot, and she would've squealed in delight had she been able to. Roman was less enthusiastic, but he too was content to see his son bonding with someone. It had been too long since that had last happened. Actually, aside from his family, Jaune had _never_ bonded with anyone. The little girl, Ruby or whatever, seemed to make him happy, and that was enough for Roman.

That being said, he still sighed, unamused, when the two of them began kissing again. Grabbing Neo, he hauled her out of the room and locked the door. Jaune didn't need a key to pass through the wall, and he could bring her with him.

"So, what do you think, Neo?" he asked as the two of them walked away from the room. "Am I doing the right thing? Red seems good for him at the moment… what about you? What do you think? You _are_ old enough to have an opinion."

She grinned and took out her Scroll to type her reply. _I think that office sex is so hot and I should be hidden in there, recording the whole thing_ , she showed him the display. Roman sighed. "Neo, please, mind out of the gutter." She giggled silently. _She likes him, he likes her. Need something more?_

"You and your addiction to romance…" he snorted, earning himself a jab in the stomach from the girl. "But no, you are forbidden to go in there and record. We have a job to do, remember."

Neo nodded enthusiastically. _Kill the Wizard_.

/- from the notes of Jaune Arc -/

 _I can't believe it. Death's control over me is getting weaker and weaker. I can wrestle command out of her hands for short periods of time, and I'm getting stronger. The other Wraiths are cheering me on, and that's admittedly weird, but Death is not happy. She can do nothing, though, she is going to be defeated by my girlfriend._

 _Oh, right, I forgot to mention that Ruby is now my girlfriend. I know, it's unbelievable. Someone as pure as Ruby with someone as tainted as me, but she always did manage to bring the best out of others. Or was that me? Maybe the both of us. Maybe that's why we were made leader…_

 _Anyway, today I also revealed my identity to Ozpin and I explained the situation. He was shocked to say the least. I've never seen him so taken off-guard, he's usually so unflappable… and he was even more shocked when he realized he had told one of his biggest secrets to me, Jaune Arc Torchwick nonetheless, his worst student ever. After I reassured him that keeping secret was something I'm good at, I told him to reveal it to Ruby as well. He didn't want to, of course, but I threatened to reveal it myself, and he knows that thanks to my Semblance it'd be hard not to allow me to escape. Plus apparently my Aura level is simply monstrous. Uh, who would've guessed… Anyway, he eventually accepted, he's gonna tell her soon…ish. I guess I was really wrong about my Semblance, it's just so useful… in a one-on-one fight it's less useful because after the other gets used to me being immaterial my advantage goes down. Plus I still take twice as much damage to my Aura when I'm immaterial…_

 _Otherwise, here it's all good. I can feel Death warring for control right now, it won't be long before she attains it, but I know she's aware of the fact she's losing. She thought that putting my friends through the Trail would've led to them abandoning me. Eh, slim chance. She's just a mental illness, she can't understand friendship. She is basically just giving_ _ **me**_ _the strength I need to break free of her control. But she's too stubborn, too obsessed with her plan to notice. She thinks that in the end they_ _ **will**_ _abandon me. And while I'm not sure whether Weiss or Blake really care for me, Ruby's enough. Plus Death's plan brought Dad and Big Sis at Beacon so that's a plus! I don't think anyone is gonna be stupid enough to bully me with Neo around…_

 _Death is taking over. I must go._

/-/

Ruby Rose entered the elevator with a bit of apprehension. Ever since the whole Trail of Blood affair had begun she had never been called by the Headmaster on her own, without her friends. It was true that with it being just the first lights of dawn most her friends would've been fast asleep, but it still didn't really made sense.

As the elevator opened, a terrible stench of scorched flesh filled her nostrils, and she wrinkled her nose to try and ignore it. At the desk was sitting Ozpin, not Timber, and his eyes were serious. "H-Hello sir… w-what happened in here?"

Ozpin gave a deep sigh. "My substitute, General Timber… has disappeared. And when I came here to report of the commotion in the courtyard, I only found this persistent foul smell." He rubbed his forehead. "Despite knowing that J… _Death_ was within my sight almost up until the last moment, I fear this to be the Wraiths' doing. They… they did say they were going to kill more." He inwardly cursed himself for having almost allowed Jaune's name to slip. If Ruby found out, she'd be devastated to know that Jaune was the Wraiths. He'd have to play it close to the chest.

Ruby found her stomach turning upside down. They had _burned_ Timber. Was that what Torchwick was doing in his office? _'He wasn't going to burn his desk… he was going to burn_ _ **him…**_ _'_ The thought of having basically allowed a murder hit her like a ton of bricks, but she held on. No, it hadn't been her fault. It was Torchwick's fault. He, for all the love he held for Jaune, was still a criminal and a murderer. He had killed Timber in revenge. She was sure of that. She gulped dryly as she looked at the once-again Headmaster. "Y-Y-You c-called me here for a r-reason, r-right?"

"Yes, Ms Rose, but first I must ask you a question." The Headmaster gestured for her to sit. "Tell me, which is your favourite fairytale?"

Ruby didn't even have to think about it. "The Moon Knight," she replied immediately. "It's my absolute favourite. Why?"

Ozpin blinked. He had honestly expected her to mention other fairytales. While the Moon Knight was indeed a beautiful story it… it ended with the hero dying alongside the shattering of the moon. He hadn't expected her to like such a story. "This is… uncommon," he noted. "Why is it?"

Ruby smiled. "Because it's not unrealistic. The Moon Knight has many regrets, doesn't always do the right thing, commits mistakes but eventually overcomes the challenge, even if he and his friends have to die for it," she explained softly. "Being like the Moon Knight is something I can do. Other fairytales' heroes are just out of my reach. They never do anything wrong, they never feel regret, and in the end they always get a happy ending. I cannot be sure of that. I cannot be sure I will do everything right, I cannot be sure I won't live in regret and I cannot be sure I will get a happy ending. The Moon Knight is the type of hero I _know_ I can be."

Ozpin smiled as well. "You surprise me with your wisdom, Ms Rose," he praised her, but then he turned serious. "Have you ever heard of the Tale of the Four Maidens?"

/-/

"You took your time."

Roman sighed as the Wraith, Torment if he wasn't wrong, appeared behind a corner. "It's not like I just kidnapped one of my own students, knocked him out, tied him up, and I am now handing him over to someone I'm pretty sure will kill him slowly and painfully. No, I'm just having a normal morning jog."

"You can leave the sarcasm out of this," growled the figure, leading them down the stairs to the cellar. "Do you want to get revenge on Jaune Arc's bullies, or do you want to quip like an idiot some more?"

"Eh, I know Jaune would've appreciated my humour," shrugged the thief. Neo grinned beside him, hugging the Wraith in contentment. "Oh, sorry, that was Neo's new way of greeting you."

He could swear he heard the Wraith sigh before he detached the smaller girl from around his waist. "We cannot waste time. In a few hours, his team will be searching for him."

A few hours? They were going to take _a few hours_ to kill the poor sod? Yikes. He almost felt sorry for him. "Eh, it's no real problem. How long until we arrive?"

"We just did," said the figure, gesturing to a table. The rest of the room was dark. "Place him here."

Roman did as he was told, and then quickly he and Neo went away. For all their cruelty, they didn't want to see their own son or brother following their footsteps. Torment smiled from under the mask and lighted a few candles, revealing an unlit brazier with a grill over it, many wooden skewers, a lot of knives, a few jars of salt and spices, and syringes full of paralysing venom. With precision, he injected a syringe's worth of venom in the boy's body, waiting a few minutes for it to take effect, and meanwhile taking care of starting a fire in the brazier. Then he slapped him awake and opened his eyelids by hand.

Niall Wizard, first 'N' of Team TTNN, woke up confused and unable to move, in a semi-dark room, with a dark figure beside him. He tried to scream, but no sound came forth. Just like he couldn't move, he could barely breath. He tried to scream again when the figure… no, the _monster_ … grabbed one of the knives and quickly cut his wrist, gathering the blood in a small bottle. "Death will want this for her message…" he heard the Wraith mutter.

Torment straightened again and grinned at the bound boy. He nonchalantly ripped off his sleeves to avoid them getting in the way. That would've been highly unwelcome. Grabbing a meat cleaver, the Wraith brought it down on the boy's arm, snapping bone and severing flesh. While no scream came forth, he knew it had hurt more than the boy could even imagine. With a quick application of Fire Dust he cauterized the wound. He didn't want the bully to die just yet.

Forcing him to turn his head and look, Torment got to work. He cut, salted and spiced the flesh, throwing the bone away while the student watched in horror. With a flick of his wrist he placed the first meat skewers on the grill before turning to the revolted and terrified student. "Those were the firsts," he explained wickedly. "You are going to be the next ones. A fitting end for someone who lived off the pain he caused to others, don't you think? Belittling others made you feel great by comparison, and hurting them made you feel strong. Self-esteem cannot be cured like that, unfortunately. Now, someone else will live off _you_."

Niall Wizard tried to scream again, but the venom was holding him still. His Aura taken care of earlier, Torment began to cut non-vital pieces of flesh from the boy, delighting himself in the look of utter terror and horror in his eyes as well as the silent prayer for mercy. As if he would ever give mercy to someone like him. The only one he could be merciful to was Ruby Rose. But Ruby Rose wasn't tied to the table behind him. No, Niall Wizard was. And he had no qualms about murdering him.

He prepared a few more skewers before the first ones were ready. Niall's body still steamed slightly from the latest cauterization. He turned to the boy and showed him the result of his cooking. "See? I'm not going to eat these, no these are for your teammates, but if I were to hazard a guess I'd say they'd taste like pig meat." Torment laid them aside and placed some more on the fire. "Now, we might be slowing down a bit with these because I don't want you to pass out or die by blood loss. Not yet. I want to see how much of you can I cook before you die. It's gonna be interesting."

 _'Please…'_ begged Niall. _'Just kill me… please!'_

/-/

Amy Null and Freya Timber woke up to the delicious scent of properly cooked meat. In the middle of the room stood a food cart, and on top of it there was a large tray brimming with perfectly-cooked and seasoned meat skewers. The scrumptious smell lured them and they found themselves standing by its side in a few seconds. They looked at each other, noticing how Niall seemed to have disappeared. "Do you think he'd mind if we eat these now? They're gonna get cold otherwise," noted Amy, reaching out with a hand, almost touching the first skewer. "You are the boss now that Vero's gone. What do we do?"

Freya shrugged, swallowing the drool she could feel forming in her mouth. She didn't know who put those skewers there, but as sure as hell they looked so very delectable. "I say we eat two thirds of them, and try not to make the others chill too much for when he comes back," she offered a solution. "Or we could eat them all and hide the cart. Besides, what he doesn't know can't hurt him, right?" The two shared a grin and dug in.

Somewhere else in Beacon, Ruby Rose took a deep sigh as she looked at the blood-written message on the outer wall of her dorm.

 _ **RAGE IS BUILDING UP INSIDE US,  
HATRED FOR THE ONES WHO STOP US,  
OUR REVENGE WILL CATCH THEM ALL,  
AND WILL OUR RAGE ON THEM BEFALL.  
SHE'S SCREAMING IN AGONY AND FRIGHT,  
HE LEFT HER ALONE IN AN ENDLESS NIGHT.**_

* * *

 _ **Well...**_

 _ **I guess none of you will eat meat skewers ever again, right? What were you expecting me to do? Just behead him?! Nope, I do things with style. Bloody, horrifying and cruel, but style nonetheless.**_

 _ **Anyway... sorry if this chapter's title made you think I was going to kill Ozpin now. I am especially sorry to CrazyLich79. I never told him outright I would kill Ozpin but I did played along. Alas, I couldn't spoil this chapter 20 chapters ago. I am also sorry to you all, I know you must be extremely pissed at me now, so I'm apologizing. Oh well, it's not like I can change it now...**_

 _ **We just entered the second-to-last arc of the story.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh**_


	43. Misty Forest

**_Here I am!_**

"Why do you think we were sent here?"

Ruby tore her eyes from the tall trees that surrounded them and looked at Blake. "What?"

The cat Faunus sneaked a glance around, all her instincts telling her to be high alert, and shrugged tensely. "Why have we been sent here? It's totally unrelated to whatever game the Wraiths are playing, and it's… well, not close to Beacon," she expanded her question, but Ruby's confusion remained. "This is the Misty Forest, Ruby. All that's here are trees, grass, earth, fog and Grimm. Why would we be sent here?"

Ruby returned to look at their surroundings. Well, Blake's words were true. All around them there was the forest, full of eternal and endless fog, the same fog that gave those woods their name. Tall, dark pines towered over their heads, their cone-like foliage thick enough to only allow slivers of light in the undergrowth, and a layer of discoloured grass and decaying leaves carpeted the soil. The mist blanketed the woods, making their sight next to useless in the long range. Everything disappeared into grey ten yards away from them. Just like Blake had pointed out, the only inhabitants of the forest were the creatures of Grimm. No bird sang in the branches, no animal scurried in the undergrowth, and the forest was eerily silent and unnaturally still.

The seven of them walked slowly, their footwear sinking in the carpet of dead leaves and grass with each step. Everyone seemed to be somewhat depressed aside from Ruby herself. Even though there had been something of a mess when Nora had found Ren's love confession, involving the short bomber's extreme happiness and lots of disasters, the moody atmosphere had returned over them in just a few days. Everyone but the diminutive reaper was weary and tired of the Trail. Ruby, on the other hand, was basically shaking with energy. They were _so_ close. Jaune was basically free. Just a little more, and he would be back with her.

And then~…

She shook her head to clear it from so very welcome, but unneeded thoughts. "No idea," she replied cheerfully. "But there must be a reason… I think. I mean, Ozpin wouldn't send us here for no reason, right?"

"I am not sure…" Yang trailed off, letting her suspiciousness be shown by her expression. "There really isn't much here, so why should we go out here? Doesn't really make much sense, does it?"

"No, it doesn't, but yet again none of this makes sense," agreed Pyrrha, walking beside the brawler. "I thought we had left sense behind when we started this… 'trail of blood'… didn't we?"

"Crazy murderous spirits commanded by a crazier, _more_ murderous spirit, horrible students murdered horridly, bastards being torn apart, terrible pasts coming back to haunt us, kidnapped friends," Blake listed off, counting on her fingers. "Untruthful accusations, bloody messages… anything else?"

"I think we get the message," nodded Yang. "So yeah, even though it doesn't really make sense for us to be here, it wouldn't be the first thing not to make sense…"

"I do believe Professor Ozpin had a reason to send us here," stated Weiss. "Despite what it might seem, this might hold some sense. Think… what if Professor Ozpin found this to be the Wraith's location and send us here to… deal with them and take back Jaune?"

Ruby wanted to roll her eyes, but she resisted the urge. Yang cut in instead. "Well that's possible… but hey, so you _do_ care!" The blonde nudged the white-haired in the side with a large grin. "So~? Are you crushing on him too? We can't have that, Ruby here has called dibs already!"

"She's done way more than that," commented Blake, glancing at the small redhead, who blushed brightly. "At least she didn't wind up pregnant… that could've been quite the issue."

"S-Shut up!" demanded Ruby, but between the stuttering and her blush she had no real authority in her voice. "J-Just shut up!"

"Well, she clearly enjoyed it…" added Nora, increasing the reaper's blush. "Plus she also got a nice engagement ring!" Ruby smiled as she looked at her ring, the stones' initials still spelling 'forever'. "But do tell, was he good?"

"Please…" wailed Yang, suddenly not very in the mood for teasing, while Ruby's blush came back with a vengeance. "Don't ask questions like that… I really don't want to hear the answer."

"Fear of having missed out?" grinned Blake.

"More like fear of my sister becoming sex-obsessed…".

"O-Okay, let's just d-drop the subject, okay?" Ruby laughed nervous, fighting off the embarrassment. "W-Why don't we focus on something else? L-Like… that tree over there! O-Or… that r-rock over there! Or… or maybe the Ursa Major that's charging right at us from our left?"

The group was immediately alert, their weapons pointed to the left and… nothing. The forest still was empty and silent, the trees black and the mist opaque. They turned when they heard a snicker, seeing Ruby trying to hold in her laughter. To be honest, Blake at the very least should've recognized the prank, and the others too. An Ursa was _not_ a quiet Grimm, especially a Major, and none of them had heard anything, plus it was kind of hard for Ruby to have been the _only_ one to detect its presence. Weiss huffed in annoyance, and Yang flicked her sister on the forehead as payback. "Jeez, so original Rubes, eh?" she drawled sarcastically, as if she hadn't just fallen in the 'look, a Grimm!' cliché. "What next? Are we going to see-"

 _Crack_.

Everyone froze as they heard a stick snap. The forest around them suddenly seemed menacing and ready to pounce on them, and they slowly formed a circle to keep an eye on all directions. Their eyes were glued to the woods and the fog, that suddenly seemed full of odd shapes and dark figures. "What was that?" murmured Pyrrha. "Blake, can you see anything?"

"I have darkvision, not fogvision, Pyrrha," replied the cat Faunus, although she did squint at the mist to try and see through it. "Only trees and murk all around. I don't see anything. Anyone else is having better luck?"

"You mean worse luck, right?" asked Weiss. "Because the Misty Forest is home to some pretty scary Grimm, some of them I wish I'll never have to fight, so to spot one would be bad luck, not good luck."

"That bad?" inquired Yang.

"You have no idea," was the grim reply as the heiress grimaced. "Skitters and juvenile Shadow Phobias are very common here. There are also Geists, Heartbreakers and Spectres that hide in the fog."

Ruby blinked. "Err… what are those Grimm?"

"I should've expected you not to know about them… given how little you study," sighed Weiss, ignoring the indignant 'hey!' from the redhead. "Skitters are beetle Grimm, while Shadow Phobias are spider ones. Those two wouldn't be too much of a bother. The Geist species can enter into inanimate objects and command them… it usually creates golems to attack settlements. Heartbreakers are a special kind of Grimm that takes the form of whoever or whatever their opponent loves most in the world. And Spectres are ghostlike Grimm with horrid fanged mouths covering their whole faces, whose main way of attack is to lunge at the victim and bite their heads off."

"Those sound mean, especially the last two," winced Yang. "What do you think this is?"

"My bets are on the Heartbreakers. Geists and Spectres float, while Skitters and Shadow Phobias behave like insects, so none of these could've caused that kind of sound," replied the heiress, narrowing her eyes at the fog. "Of the ones I've listed, only a Heartbreaker could've stepped on a stick. If so, expect the entire pack to attack us at the same time."

"Intelligent Grimm?" asked Pyrrha, confused. "Is that even possible?"

"I wouldn't say intelligent as they still lack intellect, but most Grimm are capable of minor strategies and combat instincts do the rest," shrugged Weiss. "If the pack attacks, watch out for the leader. Once that is killed, usually the rest flees until one of them becomes strong enough to evolve into Crowned Heartbreaker, which is the Alpha version of those Grimm."

"Anything else we'd need to know?" asked Blake.

"Yes. Normal Heartbreakers will always show signs of their Grimm nature. Grimm eyes, fangs, bone plating, claws, bone mask, red veins, black skin… one way or another, it's usually easy to see through their disguise, although I guess it'd still be hard to attack a Grimm version of what you love most in the world…" Weiss shook her head to clear it. "The Alpha version, the Crowned, is a completely different story altogether. No signs of deception can be found in their aspects. Both versions can also use the voice of the copied person if possible. The Crowned can be easily recognized by their behaviour, though."

"What is their natural form?" Blake pressed on, starting to make out some shapes in the fog.

"For the Heartbreakers, a humanoid with black skin, Grimm eyes, white hair, and two bone extensions on its left arm that look like a bow with no string nor arrow, but they are still sharp. They also have rudimental black wings they can't use," she informed the others. "For the Crowned Heartbreakers, add to that image a black bone crown and the ability to fly."

"They're like cute little angels!" exclaimed Nora.

"More along the lines of murderous fallen angels," replied Blake, pointing to the shapes in the mist. "They're coming now. I can see them, and they fit Weiss's description, even though the shapes are still blurred by the fog."

"Scatter," ordered Weiss, much to everyone's surprise. "Heartbreakers avoid groups as they can only take the shape of one beloved at a time. Unless you want them to stay here and attract more Grimm, we must beat them at their own game. They are not gonna engage in combat otherwise."

Ruby took a deep breath, already knowing who she was going to see. "Very well then… let's get this over with," she said as she stepped away from the circle, facing one of the blurred shapes, the one she thought was going to be the leader and that appeared to have a black crown on its head. "We'll use our Scrolls to keep in touch. Take care."

Everyone nodded and took off towards the blurred shapes, that became clearer and clearer as they approached. Fanged mouths and evil eyes gaped at them for a second before a black mist surrounded the Heartbreakers, and turned their aspects into their loves.

Yang gritted her teeth as she saw two Ruby in front of her. They were identical to the true one, down to the last detail of the clothes, but one had a bone mask like the ones of the White Fang, and the other had white claws extending from its fingers. She deployed Inferno Celica and fell into a fighting stance. She really didn't want to launch the first attack against something that looked so much like her sister.

Blake cautiously watched as the Heartbreaker turned into her mother, Kali Belladonna. It was perfectly like the original Faunus, but its ears looked… different. Narrowing her eyes, she could make out the lack of fur, instead being dark bone structures with no skin or flesh to speak of. A quite subtle sign, if she had to be honest. She unsheathed Malasorte with a determined grimace as the Grimm lunged at her.

Weiss sighed and opened her eyes to look at the Heartbreaker before her. Its dark skin had turned pale, but its hair hadn't changed colour. Now glaring at her there was Winter Schnee, her beloved sister, with disappointment written all over its face. But its eyes weren't ice blue like her own, they were red with no sclera nor pupil, the eyes of a Grimm. The eyes of a monster. She sighed again and drew Eiszapfen, keeping both blades trained on the Grimm. "You are not my sister," she told it. "You have no right to take that shape."

Pyrrha kept her shield up to cover her eyes until she was sure the Heartbreaker had changed. When she lowered the large round shield, she was met with the sigh of a brown-haired man with emerald eyes. She tightened her grip on Upakoúo as she looked at her father, her trained eyes noticing the subtle sign of the Grimm taint in the fanged grin it sported. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second before opening them again, full of determination, and raising her sword toward the monster that had taken the aspect of her father.

Ren kept his eyes closed until the very last second, when he felt the Grimm move to attack. He jumped back and only then he dared to open his eyes. True to his fears, the two Grimm had taken two different shapes, of two of the three people he loved most in the world. One was a tall man with greying black hair and beard, while the other was a short gingerhead with a large grin on her face. Li Ren and Nora Valkyrie, his father and his childhood friend. Both of them had claws instead of their fingers, claws they were ready to sink into his flesh. With a sigh, he readied Death Lotus.

Nora didn't even blink when the Heartbreaker turned into Ren, knowing better than to hope it wouldn't. Ren was all she had at the moment, and all she had had as far as she could remember. For at least a decade already, it had always been her and Ren. Her eyes wandered on its body until she found the tale-tell sign of the Grimm, a bone plating over its right forearm, standing out over the sleeve. She returned to look into its magenta eyes, and grinned as she deployed Valhalla. No one took her Renny's appearance, especially not a Grimm. She was ready to squash it into a pulp.

Ruby shuddered slightly as the Heartbreaker emerged from the mist. Up close, they were even creepier. Unmarred black, smooth skin covered its whole body, and elegant black-feathered wings sprouted from its back. Its hair was rigid and unmoving like bone, barely reaching its neck, and did not hide the Grimm eyes of the monster. Two curve blades of black bones protruded from its left arm, matching Weiss's description, and a small crown of the same material loomed on its head, confirming her guess to be true. It was indeed a Crowned Heartbreaker.

She tightened her grip on Rosarium as the black mist rose and fell again, knowing fully well who was going to appear. When the Grimm was visible once more, she felt her heart ache. Standing before her there was a short woman with red-tipped black hair and bright silver eyes locked into Ruby's. She was wearing a red corset and skirt with white rims, and a white cape hugged her frame. There was no sign of her being a Grimm, and Ruby took a hesitant step forwards before steeling her emotions. In front of her, Summer Rose smiled kindly.

Somewhere else in the forest, a figure in black clothes was running through the trees, their dark cape billowing behind them.

 ** _The Heartbreaker's idea was offered by my brother, and he's been pestering me about posting this chapter and saying "guys, HE is the one who got the idea". So now that I posted it, he should shut up about that._**

 ** _Now, my little brother is pulling my sleeve for me to go play with him, so I'll keep this brief. There's a poll for future story on my profile. Stop._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	44. Monarch and Betrayal

**_Okay, I have no words to describe how sorry I am for making you wait months before an update, aside from 'I was trying'. I know that won't be enough, but at least here is the new chapter. I guess that can could for something? Maybe limbo instead of hell for me?_**

Weiss gritted her teeth as she slashed yet another Spectre in half.

Killing the Heartbreaker had been easy enough, as they weren't apt for fighting Hunters, but only attacking civilians. Hunters like her were mentally prepared to deal with Grimm and would not allow themselves to be so easily fooled. A clean stab through the creature's head had ended the fight before it had even begun.

However, she had found out the Heartbreakers were just the flag bearers of a veritable army of Grimm that had probably been attracted by the gloom and negativity that had hung over the group for most of their journey there, waiting for them to scatter before attacking.

As opposite to Yang and Nora, Weiss was not one for loud boasting, and thus rarely kept note of how many Grimm she killed during a fight. However, she distinctly remembered having fought at least two dozens Grimm already, Spectres mostly, but also a few small Shadow Phobias.

She turned to face the newest arrived, a Skitter as large as a wolf, shooting a single Dust round into its skull to kill it, but even as it crumpled to dust two more Spectres appeared in the trees, forcing her to lunge at them with the help of her Glyphs. One fell immediately to her blade, but the other attempted to strike her with Spectres' trademark attack, a plain frontal bite. Weiss used her secondary blade, the one in her right hand, to keep it at bay for a second before impaling it through the head with her left Eiszapfen.

 _'Dammit,'_ she cursed in the silence of her mind, looking around and failing to see her teammates and friends. While that hadn't been the Grimm's intention, most Hunters' fighting styles required them to move across a lot of space, and hers wasn't the exception. She had distanced herself from the others all by herself.

The hissing squelch of a knife slicing through flesh made her turn just in time to see a Shadow Phobia being bisected by a silvery serrated blade. Her eyes hardened like ice as she took in the Wraith's appearance, tall and proud, and the way it was wielding the scythe, firmly and solidly. That alone meant it couldn't be Madness, nor Wrath, nor any of the more deranged Wraiths. Its stillness and the way its eyes were boring into hers from behind the mask was almost regal.

"Authority?" she called out cautiously, recalling the name of the Wraith in the weird message they had gotten back at the Arc household.

"Monarch," corrected the figure, brandishing his scythe to behead a Spectre lunging at him.

"Are you here to accuse me too?" growled Weiss, gritting her teeth as she was forced to fight alongside the monster who had kidnapped Jaune. Two shots ended two more Skitters, and she stabbed a Heartbreaker before it could take shape.

"No. I am here to receive the answers," replied Monarch, falling back in a resting position since no Grimm was in sight for the moment. "You never really defended yourself back at the Arc household, didn't you?"

"That Wraith didn't seem okay with getting answers, it only wanted to accuse," rebutted the heiress, aiming her rapiers at him. "Why is that now you want answers?"

"To sate our curiosity, just like everyone else who asks questions. So tell me, do you have anything to say?" The Wraith swept his scythe in a low arc, killing a Shadow Phobia trying to sneak up on them. "The Grimm are thinning, so you should not have problems thinking about your answer."

"My answer does not need so much thinking," Weiss retorted venomously. "I think you're insane, and that you're spouting idiocies without fundament. For all her bluntness, Ruby was right, we were doing this out of guilt, so if you want to ask me the same question your 'brother' asked me before, about what I think of Arc, let me give you your answer." Weiss stabbed a Spectre through the area of the stomach and then beheaded it with her other weapon. "I do not like him. I don't wish him ill, mind me, but he is not the kind of person I'd like to hang out with. He is far from serious, and has only the beginning of an idea about how to flirt. I refuse to sanctify him just because now he's a victim."

Monarch seemed stumped by her answer, but he quickly regained the ability to move as it sank its scythe's blade into the head of an Alpha Skitter. "So you don't care about him? So Death was right all along?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Death is just an insane idiot who cries so loud because her arguments are so fragile," snapped Weiss, glaring at him. "I do miss him, and I hope he'll be okay. This does not mean I'm ready to throw myself at his feet and become his personal carpet once he comes back. He's still Jaune Arc, not His Highness the Emperor of Remnant. I didn't and don't like him much, I probably never will. But I can tolerate his presence as long as he cooperates, and I will help him if he needs. I do not need to think of him as of a saint to help him. Why can't you accept that it's not either I hate him or I adore him? I don't like him. Yes, I will help him. But no, my opinion of him hasn't really changed just because you all showed up and-"

She was cut off as Monarch keeled over and let out a wail as if in pain before glaring up at her from behind his mask. "We!? We just wanted you to see-"

"You are exaggerating everything. Sure, he wasn't the devil, but honestly I'm sick of your sanctification of him. He's done nothing to earn that, and even if he had, _he_ should be the one to come and discuss with me. I'm not gonna change my opinion of him just because some creep decided to scream at me until I chose to worship him." Weiss's words seemed to bring more and more pain to the Wraith the more she spoke, and she found herself enjoying it. Enjoying the punishment delivered to one of the beings that had been making her life hell for the past weeks. "You are the ones in the wrong. Sure, I'll admit Professor Goodwitch should've told Ozpin before taking action herself, but hadn't you stepped in, this could've been solved _easily_. Ozpin would've just re-accepted him into Beacon. And I'll admit that this whole thing helped us finding out stuff about his past I doubt we would've ever found out – though I'm not sure we _wanted_ to find out. All in all, you're the ones who are making this worse, not-"

With a scream, the Wraith swung wildly at her with his scythe, as if to shut her up, and she merely sidestepped the clumsy attack and slashed at his back with her left rapier. "What? Now that it's _my_ turn to tell the truth, you suddenly can't stand it?"

"You lie, we are helping him!" exclaimed Monarch, none of his previous calm now present. "We-"

"You are just keeping him away from people who could _actually_ help him just to try and prove a point you don't need to prove!" Weiss cut him off harshly. "If he really _needs_ to be my friend, then you shouldn't guilt-trip me into seeing him in a better light. _He_ should try and befriend me."

Monarch gave a muted growl as he grabbed his head as if nursing a terrible migraine. "No… no… you are-"

"Right," she interrupted him once again. "We are right, and you are wrong. Face it. Death is wrong, you are wrong, and you've been wrong all along. Everything you've done has not just been in vain, it has actually made everything _worse_."

"NO!" With one last denial, Monarch fled through the trees, stumbling and scrambling back to his feet over the treacherous terrain. Weiss watched him go, readying herself to face the three Spectres that had been attracted by the negativity, but inwardly she was extremely pleased at the outcome of her meeting with the Wraith.

Raising her left rapier, she narrowed her eyes as she took the shot, shattering the Wraith's black and white Aura and leaving it to fend off uncountable Grimm on its own.

/-/

Blake beheaded without looking a Heartbreaker that had taken her father's form, not taking her eyes off the bigger threat that was the twisted and knotted old pine that was moving in front of her. She used her Semblance to avoid a branch sweeping down to strike at her and instead killing two more Heartbreakers. Weiss _had_ told them Geists lived in the forest, but she hadn't expected to find one so soon. It had barely been ten minutes since the start of the fight, and she was still fresh enough, but a Geist was a though opponent, especially against someone with weapon like hers.

Malasorte's handgun finished off the last Heartbreaker, a Grimm version of her mother Kali with tall horns on its head, while the sword infused with Aura chopped off the next oncoming branch. Blake knew she had to hit the mask, and soon, as a pine had a stupidly large amount of branches, and the Geist could attack with any of those.

Ignoring the four Skitters crawling in her vicinity, Blake jumped over one of the possessed tree's roots, stepping inside the thing's guard and too close for it to hit her with the long branches. Her katana danced across the bark, but all it managed to do was to infuriate the Grimm by evading its attacks, and scratching an innocent tree.

The four Skitters made themselves known once again as they crawled up the roots to try and reach her, but every one of them was sniped off by her handgun except the fourth, that earned itself a slash from Malasorte.

The Geist tree seemed to pick up on her distraction and shook its roots, sending earth and dirt everywhere as well as dislodging her and making her fall on her rear. Once again Blake used her Semblance to avoid the oncoming strike, but this time she reappeared _on_ the offending branch, running along its length and reaching the mask. Not willing to take any chances of it resisting her handgun, she holstered it and sank her blade two-handedly in the bone 'face', killing the Geist and removing its taint from the old tree, which still immediately, thought with one branch still extended as if to hit.

She jumped off and tensed when she heard deliberately slow claps. Turning, her heart filled with disgust at the sight of one of the Wraiths standing near a tree, its scythe resting against the bark beside him. "You. Really the best timing."

"Well, treason does strike when the victim is at its weakest, in terms of preparation or strength, and I am Betrayal," the figure replied, introducing itself at the same time. Grasping the scythe, the figure seemed content to stay where it was as it killed a juvenile Shadow Phobia. "So, have you finally gotten over your mistrust enough to face your betrayal, Blake?"

"Ugh, you're worse than Yang," groaned the brunette. "Hurry up, if you want to ask questions. I'd rather not spend more time than I need with a Wraith, especially not in the middle of a fight with Grimm."

"Well, I think you already know my question. It's the same Mistrust posed you back in the Arc household, after all," the Wraith explained calmly, annoying her further. "And after all this time, maybe you-"

"Oh, just shut up already, you stupid hypocrite!" exclaimed Blake, shooting a Spectre that had strayed too close. Since there were no other Grimm in sigh, she trained her handgun on the Wraith. "You say you want to keep him away from us since we hurt him and yet all you're doing is making it worse. True, I wasn't and probably will never be Jaune's greatest fan -we have Ruby for that- but you… you're worse than Cardin! You are hurting the people he cares about to prove a point you have no idea whether is true or not!"

Betrayal shifted his hold on the scythe, and Blake tensed. "Oh, really? Because last I checked, we weren't the ones who didn't care about him when he was being bullied and kicked down by everyone."

"And did you? No, what I'm seeing is you Wraiths trying to keep Jaune away from the world, and to force them world into liking him. I'm ashamed to say that I recognize this behaviour. You know from where? The White Fang." Blake bristled at even just saying that name. What had once been an organization for equality… was now so similar to the Wraith's own mentality. "They force people to accept Faunus, while it shouldn't be like that. It was not fair for Jaune to be bullied, that is true and I'm not too proud of myself for ignoring it so blatantly, but he cannot wait for others to step in and do everything for him. He had the ability to do so."

"How, when his bullies-"

"By asking people called _friends_ ," Blake pressed heavily. "Your 'sibling' was right, I've always had a hard time trusting people, now more than ever. But I know, at least for some things, that I can rely on my team and my friends. True, back then I couldn't have been called Jaune's friend, and maybe I will try and change that in the future, but it is undeniable that he _could_ have asked us to help him. After all, his bullies were in gangs, so there wouldn't even have been any shame in admitting not to be able to take on three or more people all on his own."

"It would've only gotten worse la-"

Again, Blake didn't even let him finish before she verbally attacked him again. "Really? And you think that all the mess you've made isn't gonna end badly for him? You are trying to baby him in every way you can, smoothing things out with everyone before slowing allowing him back in a protected environment without hard corners for him to hurt himself against. That's not what he needs, or he'll never learn how to survive on his own, without your help."

Betrayal darted forwards and Blake put a bullet between its mask's eyes, the projectile doing nothing to stop it. Raising her katana, she used her Semblance at the last moment, slashing at the Wraith's back and shooting at it at the same time.

"See, even now you refuse to accept what I'm saying. Until I agree with you and docilely go down, you'll never leave Jaune with me, as you fear what I'll do to him. But the point is that no matter how hard you try, in the end _he_ will need to befriend people. Forcing people into being his friends is never going to work, exactly like the White Fang is never going to achieve equality by making humans fear the Faunus!" Blake's sword clashed against the scythe, and she stumbled when the Wraith suddenly turned incorporeal, feeling her Aura drop slightly as the ghost weapon hit her Aura. "Without you, he would need to face his bullies, but we'd be by his side if he decided to ask. Yes, even I would come to his aid. I am not his friend, but I want to believe I am a good enough person to help someone who needs it when I'm asked."

Betrayal let out a growl as he slashed again, but this time Blake was prepared and sidestepped the attack. What she didn't expect, though, was for him to follow up with a backward strike, forcing her further back. "You know nothing of how it is to feel bullied, asking for help is not-"

"How dare you say I don't know how it feels!?" Blake slashed wildly, trying to hit the Wraith, before she felt danger coming from her right and narrowly avoided a Spectre attracted by their negativity. Four more had already appeared in the fog, and she gritted her teeth, forcing herself to calm down. "I've been discriminated against all my time among humans just because of my race, something I hadn't even been able to choose to begin with! I have _fought_ against discrimination all my life, despite knowing I was too weak to make a difference, but I fought anyway! Out of all of us, _I_ am the one who knows how it feels the most!"

Blake shot the Spectre and impaled the next one with Malasorte, throwing it at the Wraith from over her shoulder. "You claim I have betrayed Jaune, yet you are the one who is harming him. You are nothing but a hypocrite!" With the third being taken care of the Wraith, she beheaded the last and turned just in time to catch him killing a Heartbreaker in the form of… Professor Torchwick? She shook her head. She had caught just a glimpse, her mind must've played a trick on her.

Narrowing her eyes, she waited until she had the figure's attention before unloading three more shots in its cloak. He dodged all the three of them, but not the follow-up with her katana. Black and white ripples spread through his body, and he gave a strangled gasp. Taking her chance, she levelled her handgun at him again, but a quick slash from his scythe had her disarmed. Preparing herself for the fight, Blake gripped her sword tighter.

Only to be surprised when the Wraith turned tail and ran back in the woods, his cloak ripping and tearing itself on the bark's rough texture.

 ** _I'm betting all of you were expecting a repeat of the Arc household event. Well, in a way yes, but it's a verbal onslaught against the Wraith. Because Weiss and Blake are right, the Wraiths are doing it all wrong, and eventually it was Jaune's fault, not just theirs. Also, since the gang won't mince words, I'll do two every chapter. Watch out, Trail of Blood ends in four more chapters. Three normal chapters, and then an epilogue._**

 ** _Thanks to all of you who have patiently waited for me, maybe cursed me in your spare time maybe not, and I hope this hasn't disappointed you._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	45. Fury and Doom

**_Yes, I do know I'm kind of rushing ToB's updates, but honestly? I'm afraid I might lose inspiration again and leave this fic on hiatus for OTHER three months. I did it from July to October, and from November to March. I just want to get this over with. Trail of Blood was once my favourite fic, but honestly, I've found out that I like writing humour and adventure more than writing dark. I know, I know, Khor, who always proclaimed to oh-so-love writing dark is giving up his darklord mantle. Shameful, I know. What can I do? Besides, if the Favs and Follows of my other fics are anything to go by, I'd say people agree with me._**

 ** _Plus, I changed my style so much since the start of this story. It's freaky for me to read back, really._**

Yang Xiao Long was having the time of her last few weeks.

She barely kept count of the shots she unloaded from Inferno Celica, crushing and punching the Grimm as soon as she saw them, uncaring of how much she was distancing herself from the others. She just needed that, that chance to vent all that pressure that had been building up inside her, and the Grimm were the perfect way to do so. Cruel, maybe, but Yang had never denied how cruel she could get when she was so angry.

A Spectre found a fist going through its throat as it tried to bite her. The blonde didn't even wait for it to disintegrate before slamming that same fist into a Grimm Ruby's head, killing the damn Heartbreaker that thought it could take her little sister's appearance. The claws were a dead giveaway. Her other arm crushed a juvenile Shadow Phobia against the bark of a tall pine, reluctant to use the flamethrower mode in the middle of a forest, despite the woods being so humid the chances of causing a wildfire were minimal at best. Fire Dust had the habit of not caring for the wetness of its target, and was known to work to a limit even underwater.

She didn't even need to use her Semblance, most of these Grimm barely had any armour on them. Their main victims were civilians, not Hunters. Even the Shadow Phobias, whose adult form could actually fight Hunters due to its armour, here were only juvenile ones, their armour too thin to resist a punch from Yang Xiao Long.

The subtle sound of hissing metal was all the explanation she received as the Grimm around her began to thin without her direct intervention. As she round-kicked the head off a Spectre, she glimpsed a flash of black and a quick silver blade severing in two a Heartbreaker not too far from her.

"Do you wish to attract all the Grimm in the kingdom?"

Yang gritted her teeth. Right when she was venting off steam, the Wraiths had to pop up again. They really had a way of making her furious. She didn't even look as she punched a Spectre that was trying to sneak upon her, the hit strong enough to rip its head right off its body. Another Spectre tried to attack her, but was likewise crushed by a backhanded slap that splattered it against a pine, cracking its bark.

"Less for the others to fight," growled the blonde, grabbing a particularly large and vicious Spectre, a probably an Alpha version, and throwing it at the Wraith as if it were a rock. The black-clad figure just sidestepped the attack, letting the Grimm crash into another pine, dying on impact. "Why are you here? Is your lair really here, so far from Beacon?"

"No, I am just here for the same reason we were at the Arc household, to ask you a question and receive an answer," replied the Wraith as it shifted its scythe into a single-bladed sword and stabbed a Shadow Phobia through the carapace. "Oh, I almost forgot. You may call me Fury."

"I'll call you dead man as soon as I'm done with these Grimm," Yang threatened as she unloaded three shots in another Heartbreaker before it could even begin to form a shape. "You'd better ask your question right now and then run."

"The question is still the same as back then, I am merely wondering if your answer to it has changed," snorted the Wraith, impaling through a Heartbreaker lurking too close, which had taken Ruby's form again. Honestly, all the ones that fought Yang had tried to take that form.

"Oh yes it has, just wait until we run out of Grimm and I'll land my answer square on your face!" Yang yelled over the sound of crunching Grimm bones as she fought three more Spectres. Really, those ghost-like Grimm seemed to be extremely common in that forest. "But since you've _kind enough to ask_ … I'm gonna punch Jaune too as soon as I see him again!"

The Wraith scoffed as she beheaded a Heartbreaker and then stabbed three Skitters in a row, creating an impromptu Grimm skewer before they dissipated. "I see. You're back to treating him like crap."

"It's not just him, anyone who causes this much chaos would get a clean hook from me!" retorted Yang, backhanding a Geist into a tree… a tree it didn't have time to possess and splattered against. "Besides, he wasn't even really my friend. We barely spoke to each other, much less had a real conversation. So it's not like I'm gonna regret punching his lights out."

"What happened to make you change your opinion like that?"

"Ruby happened." The Wraith made a sound of confusion, and Yang snorted as she stomped a Skitter and punched a Spectre. "She snapped at all of us and told us how we were doing this just because of guilt. And while she wasn't completely right, she wasn't completely wrong. We were doing this because we felt it was the right thing to do. But we changed our views of Jaune because of guilt." Yang fired a shot at a Shadow Phobia before deflecting a Grimm Ruby's attack with her gauntlets. Not wasting time, she punched the Heartbreaker in the stomach and then in the face, ending it with a bone-breaking crunch. "Jaune was weak. I'm not talking about combat any more, he was weak-willed. He victimized himself and instead of doing something about it, he wailed. Even when he had to solution a call for help away, he still stubbornly refused to take it, waiting for others to solve his problems."

Yang grabbed two more Heartbreakers and conked their heads together before throwing them at the Wraith. "Heck, when his biological father told him what had really happened to his family, instead of facing his trauma, he went nuts! _You_ went nuts!"

She smashed a Spectre against a pine's trunk and crushed its head before noticing how the Wraith seemed to have frozen. She almost spat on the ground. "What? Did you really think I wouldn't pick up on the clues? That I wouldn't follow my little sister around when she was called up to a criminal's office? That I wouldn't read her 'secret diary'? I know you are Jaune, and I know Jaune is the Wraiths. All of them."

Fury stabbed a Spectre and kicked a Shadow Phobia away as she -no, _he_ \- stared at Yang. "Then why haven't you done anything, nor told anyone?" he finally inquired.

Yang snorted. "Because of two reasons. One, if there's a way to solve this without telling people who would tell the police, and thus avoiding to break Ruby's heart, I'll gladly take that way even if it costs other people dearly. I wrecked a local and injured lots of people to get information. As sure as hell I'm gonna do much more to ensure my little sister is okay." Yang grabbed a Crowned Heartbreaker that still hadn't had time to transform and swung it like an impromptu club at the Wraith himself, who was taken by surprise and sent flying against a Spectre, killing the Grimm in the process. "And second reason, because I know how much trauma fucking sucks. I'm not gonna condone what you've done but I get you weren't really in control of yourself. You were still a kid and it seemed to you like the entire world was out to make your life miserable."

Yang punched another Spectre before deflecting the Wraith's sword. "Add to that the whole 'the man I called father for five years actually slaughtered my entire family' affair, and I get that you snapped. The part of you that just wanted the world to go easier on you gave birth to these Wraiths. Alternative personalities designed to make your life easier without you having to do anything. I guess that's what you wanted back then, didn't you? You wanted your life to be easier, and that's the same you wanted back when you were expelled." Yang pushed aside another slash from the blade and punched the Wraith in the face, cracking his mask even further. "I too wanted life to go easy on me after my mother died and I was left to pick up the pieces of what was left of my family. Dad didn't help, either, so lost in his own grief. If Ruby is like she is today, it's because I fucking forced down my misery and my trauma and I _acted_. I grew her up like the mother she had lost, I took care of her and I even taught her, at least until Dad didn't snap out of it. Instead of whining about the unfairness of it all, I accepted it and moved on, because I couldn't _afford_ to go insane and try to force the world into being fair to me."

Fury didn't attack any more. He was on his knees, head hung low and hands tightly gripping the weapon. "So you're saying Jaune Arc was just a pathetic weakling. That _we all_ were."

Yang shrugged. "No point in denying the truth. That doesn't mean you can't change of course. Don't think I took up the mantle of 'motherhood' for Ruby in a second, I never said I immediately snapped out of it. I changed when I saw that Ruby needed me." Yang grabbed another Heartbreaker, this time Taiyang, surprisingly, and used it as a club to smash away all the Grimm around them before tossing it away as well. "You can change, and you know how you can? You can get your ass out of those clothes and you can start facing your troubles as Jaune fucking Arc, not as some freaky 'wraith'. You'll have a lot to make up for, but you _can_ change. It just depends on whether you're willing to work for it or not."

The figure kneeling in front of her shakily rose and even more shakily removed his mask, revealing the face Yang had known to be under it. The girl's eyes softened ever so slightly. "I know it's not going to be easy, and I'm not asking you to change in a day. But for Ruby's sake you must change, or you'll just fall back in this the next time you go through a crisis."

When he left, she didn't try to stop him.

/-/

Pyrrha Nikos was finding it easy to kill each and every Grimm that came near her, and that was to be expected. Her skill had not dulled in the past weeks, and all the creatures of darkness that came within her reach met a quick and merciless death by her hands.

Her new weapon, Upakoúo, was not as useful as she had thought it'd be. While a solid and sturdy weapon like that one wasn't a liability on its own, paired with her own unfamiliarity with it was making her too slow for her liking. Of course that didn't mean the Grimm could harm her, but she hated the feeling of wielding a weapon that couldn't make her reach her max. She knew she couldn't call her locker all the way from Beacon, but she really wished she had brought Miló and Akoúo with her.

All Spectres were stabbed cleanly through their gaping mouths. All Heartbreakers were beheaded by a precise swing of her blade. All Skitters were crushed under the lower edge of her shield. All Shadow Phobias were stomped. And all Geists were shot in their masks as they tried to possess the pines surrounding her.

Nothing was getting past her, nothing was getting near her, nothing was getting away from her.

A Horrid Spectre, the Alpha variant of the ghostlike Grimm, tried to attack her, but she easily and quickly dealt with it with a ferocity that made Yang look tame in comparison. She looked around, but she only saw a Shadow Phobia crawling down a pine tree and stabbed it cleanly through the carapace. Then she caught a rustle of black at the corner of her sight, and turned around to see a dark shape blurred by the mist. It had no white on it, so that ruled Grimm out.

"Wraith," she greeted coldly, and shot the figure a single bullet, which was deflected if the sound of metal meeting metal was anything to go by. "What do you want?"

"An answer, I guess," shrugged the Wraith as he walked into view. Pyrrha's trained eyes zeroed in on the way he was holding his scythe.

His hands were shaking slightly.

"And what's the question?" inquired the champion, bashing a Spectre in the face with her shield. "Be quick about it, I _really_ don't like your company."

"It's the same question Destiny posed you back at the Arc household, about Jaune Arc," replied the Wraith, stomping a Skitter running past.

"What do I think of Jaune? Oh, what I think of him has _really_ changed," snarled the girl, leaping at the Wraith and swinging widely to force him to parry before she tried to bash him with the shield. He merely sidestepped the attack and then phased through a tree to dodge the follow-up of her sword. "I think he was a moron for letting all the bullies pick on him while he had the strength to fight back, and he had the chance to ask for help. I am not sure how I feel about his current 'family' other than knowing they're criminals and murderers, but if they have grown him up in the past five years, I'm beginning to wonder whether the kind boy I knew was really Jaune Arc, or if he was just a façade he kept on to blend in."

"It wasn't a façade, I can assure you of that," remarked the Wraith right before he had to duck under a high swing, using the shaft of his scythe to parry a swift kick.

"Wasn't it? Jaune has been grown as an assassin and a criminal, I honestly don't know what to think any more. From what little Ruby told us of what she knows, _and I know she knows more than she lets on_ , Jaune could even fight, but he pretended not to be able to." Pyrrha's eyes flashed as she pressed on the assault, pausing only to skewer a Spectre on her right. She activated the chainsaw function in her shield and tried to bash the Wraith with it, but he slipped away again, passing through an ancient pine. "I found out that I knew nothing of his past and that he had purposefully kept it secret from all of us. By now I wonder if he even really saw us as friends, or if he was faking that too. With everything I've discovered so far, I wouldn't be surprised if he had never really considered us friends."

"So you've just decided to throw him away like trash," the Wraith accused her, deflecting a swipe of her weapon before slashing back, his scythe ringing against her shield.

"Until he does give me, _us_ , answers, how are we supposed to trust him?" Pyrrha asked back, rhetorically, as she continued to press the attack. "I don't even know what to think any more, his whole behaviour didn't make sense! He could fight but he refused to, and he felt always so downtrodden because of his 'inability to fight'. Why would he do that?! I can't understand and it's driving me insane!"

The Wraith narrowed his eyes behind his mask and rolled to the side, barely avoiding another chainsaw-shield bash. "So that's your answer?"

"Yes," was Pyrrha's fierce reply before she lunged at him again, attacking him every way she could. The Wraith grunted in pain as a particularly solid blow landed on his side, sending him tumbling. Before she could attack him again, he had rolled and phased through a pine tree. When she got to the other side, he had already gotten up and disappeared in the mist.

With a scream of frustration, Pyrrha Nikos returned to fight the Grimm, with even more fire fuelling her strikes.

 ** _Yang knows, plot twist! And she allows the Wraiths to get away with that as long as Ruby is fine._**

 ** _Also, as you might guess from these last two chapters, the Wraiths' mentality is totally wrong. For the ones who complained, during the Arc household chapters, how they didn't say anything against the Wraiths, well it was because I had already planned on doing this, and I wanted to show how much their answers changed during these... what? Twenty chapters already? Jeez..._**

 ** _Well... tell me what you think, I guess._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	46. Mind and Insanity

**_And here I am. I am pumping chapters out because I fear that if I don't, I'll end up with another four-months-long hiatus._**

 ** _Now, before we start, I'd like to address something. What Weiss, Blake, Yang and Pyrrha all said. Not all of it is true. Yang certainly isn't right in just saying that Jaune has to get over seeing his whole family butchered and then, after living with his father for five years, being told his father was the one who did it in vengeance. And she's wrong in calling him weak-willed. She is not wrong when she says that what the Wraiths are doing is not helping him. She is right in saying that actions speak louder than words. As for Pyrrha, she's stressed, she fears that Jaune was lying to her all along and that he didn't actually see her as a friend, and this is making her act out and lash out._**

 ** _Point is, this world is not black and white. It's not that they are right and the Wraiths are wrong, nor the other way around. None of them holds a mathematical truth. They have their opinion which was, by definition, "judgement founded upon probabilities", or "conjecture, belief". It is not an automatic truth just because the characters say so._**

 ** _So each of them holds some part of truth, and the rest is personal opinion. And before you ask yes, I do view Yang as someone who, having gone through trauma herself, would think to know what Jaune went through, and would tell him to man up and get over it. She has her opinions and in her opinion that's what he should do._**

Lie Ren always considered himself a very calm person, and that was even truer during fights, or at least as long as Nora wasn't harmed. Fighting Grimm in the Misty Forest was an easy task if compared to some of the battles the two of them had been through before going to Beacon.

He swiftly danced under a lunge from a Spectre and impaled it with his new weapon, Death Lotus. The katana's blade pierced the unarmoured flesh, killing the Grimm, before he retracted it to behead a Heartbreaker that had taken the form of Nora with bone gauntlets. Ren's eyes were, for the first time in a week, focused and calm as he fought the soulless monsters, waiting for the horde to end before he could return to his friends. He had been the only one to remain near their initial spot, but everyone else had scattered.

The sounds of guns going off, Grimm howling in pain, and growls filled the air, informing him that his friends were still battling the creatures all around him. He had no doubts they would all be fine. Heartbreakers and Spectres weren't really all that much of a problem once one got used to them, while Skitters and young Shadow Phobias were critters at best. The only Grimm Weiss had listed that could be really considered dangerous was the Geist type. Fortunately, those Grimm usually possessed large objects and as such, they usually cause a large trail of destruction. Said trails of destruction made a lot of noise, so if any of his friends were to be in trouble with one of those Grimm, he'd know.

He quickly shifted Death Lotus in assault rifle, taking out five hazy figures in the mist before they even got close enough for him to tell Spectre from Heartbreaker. The red eyes, black skin and white bone were a dead giveaway, so he was sure he hadn't just shot his own friends. Still using the rifle, he jammed the barrel in a Skitter's carapace, using the folded-up blade to pierce it and kill the creature, before lifting it up and shooting at three Shadow Phobias that were trying to crawl up a tree.

The new assault rifle mode was a net improvement from his old machine-guns. Those could still kill minor Grimm, but they usually just bounced off armour, making them useless against the stronger or bigger Grimm. And the shortness of his previous daggers made it hard for him to reach deep, against something that worked against him when he was facing larger Grimm. He still had Storm Flowers hidden in his sleeves just in case, but he found himself preferring to continue the one-sided slaughter with just Death Lotus.

He returned the weapon to its katana mode before hacking at a Spectre, cutting it vertically in half as the razor-sharp blade bit through the flesh like a hot scalpel through butter. Twirling on himself, Ren landed a spinning kick to the side of a Heartbreaker's head. He flinched at the sight of his father staring back at him for a second before the corpse disintegrated. His Aura sense warned him of the incoming danger, and she ducked under another Spectre. As it turned out, those were the most common type of Grimm in that forest. Ren reached out with a hand and gripped the soulless creature, slamming it into a pine tree and cracking its head.

Leaving the smoking cadaver to disappear, he executed another Heartbreaker, this time looking like his mother, by decapitation before performing a low sweeping kick to trip a Grimm Nora with claws before axe-kicking her chest, caving it in and killing the monster.

Confessing to Nora had really helped him get rid of the stress he had piled up and up during the previous few weeks.

"I must praise your focus, as opposite to others, your fighting style isn't just a 'hack and slash' mindset."

Stress he had piled up because of _them_.

Reigning his emotions in like always, Ren stabbed a Spectre through the chest and grabbed the leg of a particularly large juvenile Shadow Phobia, throwing it at the Wraith as a makeshift projectile. He hadn't expected it to hit, of course, and he wasn't surprised by seeing the Wraith effortlessly dodge the writhing creature before it hit the bark of the tree behind the figure with enough force to send its legs flying in all directions. If the Wraith was bothered by one of them bouncing off the back of their head, they didn't show it.

"Which one are you?" Ren inquired evenly as he dashed to attack them, his katana meeting their scythe halfway. "Logic again?"

"Mind, actually. And I don't think it'd be wise to fight with so many Grimm running around," the Wraith pointed out. He didn't need to be told that, he perfectly knew the Grimm were still coming in waves. There were less than before, and his calmness wasn't attracting more, but all his friends continued to, so they would be going at it for quite some time still.

Ren disengaged just long enough to shift Death Lotus into assault rifle and unload half an entire cartridge against the Wraith, not even frowning as the bullets were all deflected or dodged. Most Hunters in training could do the exact same thing, so it wasn't really surprising for Mind to be capable of that as well. "What do you want? I'm guessing your 'siblings' are running around too, am I right? Just like at the Arc household, the only time when you took a direct approach."

"You'd be correct in assuming that. We have already talked with Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long and Pyrrha Nikos. As well as trimming down the number of approaching Grimm, even though I'll admit we only marginally decreased this seemingly endless horde," Mind replied flawlessly before twirling on herself and fluidly bisecting a short bicoloured girl. Ren cried out in shock before the girl's halves vanished in black smoke. "A Crowned Heartbreaker, unrecognisable on sight alone. As for why I'm here, I believe it is the same reason that brought Logic to confront you back at the Arc household."

Ren kicked a Skitter away and blasted the whole swarm, made up of seven Grimm beetle and an Alpha, before turning the now empty rifle into katana and stabbing it into a tree. Then he used his weapon as leverage to pull himself up and forwards, smashing both feet in his father's bone-covered chest, killing the Heartbreaker. "What do I think of Jaune? It's simple. He's Jaune. What else should I think?"

"That does not answer my question," replied Mind, briefly slipping on the muddy ground before regaining her footing and stomping a Shadow Phobia. She grabbed another Grimm spider and slammed it on the ground. Despite the softness of the wet grass and the mucky land, it was still enough to kill it. "Do you hate him? Do you consider him a friend?"

"My opinion of him, I decided, hasn't changed. I won't choose what to think of him depending on what a third party tells me. When we'll get him back, I'll embrace him like the friend he was, and then I'll decide what he actually is to me as time goes on." Ren shrugged as the two of them got a brief respite, no Grimm in their immediate surroundings. Ren suspected that was mainly because Yang and Nora were attracting all of them. "You might be telling the truth, you might not. True, Jaune's past has been traumatic and far worse than what I was expecting, but if I have to talk about it, I'd prefer to do so with him, not with someone else. You may have elected yourself to the position of jury and intermediators between us and him, but that doesn't change anything. Jaune Arc is my friend. Not the Wraiths."

"So you are just going to ignore all what we have told you?" Mind asked, and the boy could easily make out the surprise in her voice.

"No. I am going to take the truth you've shown us, and ignore your personal opinions until I discuss this with Jaune." Ren shifted his weapon back in assault rifle, and ejected the empty cartridge. Taking a new one from his pocket, he calmly reloaded his weapon before turning it back into a katana. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No… just unusual. I thought that, with everything you've gone through, you wouldn't be looking at this so… objectively," the Wraith replied slowly, as if testing each word, unsure of what to say. "Not at the level at which others are, at least."

Ren shrugged once more. "I've always been the calmest of the group. Now, is there something else?"

"You're not going to fight me now?"

"You weren't here to fight me like I thought, so I see no reason in fighting you. Not like killing you would save my friend anyway." The boy raised his blade as he felt some Grimm approaching with his Aura sense. "If there's nothing else, then go. I take no pleasure in your company."

/-/

Nora Valkyrie was cheerfully smashing Grimm to pieces. To her, that was everything that mattered at the moment. Plus, she still had to exhaust the energies Ren's confession had given her, if she had to be honest. She barely acknowledged the type of Grimm she was fighting before she crushed them with Valhalla or Magnhild, swapping between the two weapons with ease.

A Spectre tried to lunge at her from her right. Magnhild swept in a wide arc and smashed into the side of its head, ripping it straight from the shoulders and sending it flying like Remnant's most horrid baseball ball. The remaining corpse was thrown to the ground by the sheer force of the hit, and disintegrated soon after into nondescript dust.

A Geist-possessed tree attacked her from her left, and Valhalla fried its branches with a high-voltage electric lightning bolt from its small Tesla coils. When that proved to be still not enough to kill the Geist within, Nora resorted to her new favourite technique. Instead of 'smash 'em to pieces with a hammer', she changed it into 'smash 'em to pieces with _two_ hammers'. Normally, she'd be unable to wield both in such fashion, but with the help of a little charge from Valhalla's Tesla coils, nothing was impossible for Nora Valkyrie on electrons. She swung her hammers from opposite directions, crushing the Geist's mask in the bark between the two hammerheads, and thus effectively killing the Grimm for good.

Three more Heartbreakers, all three of them Ren but with different Grimm traits such as red eyes, horns and armoured shins, pounced on her from behind her. While she would've usually been very happy to get a hug from Ren, her Ren was not a Grimm. Instead, those Grimm were intercepted in mid-air by Maghnild, and took the Nora Express, final destination: somewhere within a mile from there.

Needless to say, Nora was having a really fun time.

She allowed four Spectres and six Heartbreakers to surround her before twirling around with both hammers held out, smacking each and every one of them without as much as blinking. The ten Grimm were crushed by the large weapons of mass destruction, bone shattering with crunching sounds and flesh ripped apart by the raw strength of the hit. Nora continued to grin all thorough it, enjoying herself too much not to smile.

"Nice technique."

Nora sighed and dropped her smile. Her fun had ended all too soon. Squashing another Spectre with Valhalla, she turned to look at the Wraith standing in the clearing, a good bit away from her. "You."

"Me."

"Wanna fight?"

"No."

"Talk?"

"Yes."

"What about?" Nora swung both hammers and sent a tree crashing onto a nest of Shadow Phobias, though for all she knew they could've also been Skitters, she wasn't certain. With no Grimm in their immediate surroundings, thanks to Nora's modus operandi when it came to Grimm, she just leaned on Maghnild and stared expectantly at the Wraith, eager to return to her fun.

"You seem awfully at ease," noted the figure, leaning on her scythe as well. "Are you not scared? Angry? Worried? Anything?"

"Why should I? You've made it clear that as long as we play your game, you aren't going to hurt us," shrugged Nora, sitting down on Maghnild's large hammerhead, that was big enough to double-stunt as a stool. "And right now I'm playing your game like you want. You may be Madness but you still follow Death's orders, don't you?"

"My name is Insanity, but you're not wrong," nodded the now named Insanity, tapping her scythe's shaft. "Well, while I wasn't expecting this, I think this is an improvement. Now, I want to talk about the same exact thing you talked about with Madness. Your opinion of Jaune Arc."

"Oh, that's easy! Me and Ren-"

"Ren and I…"

"-talked about this, and we decided to just wait for him to come back!" exclaimed Nora, just before a lone Spectre wandered in the clearing. This one looked much tougher than a normal one, with more bone plating and longer fangs, but it too fell to a single swing of Valhalla. "Until then, he's my friend who is learning how to make pancakes with Ren. Also, but don't tell him, he's my hug-buddy. I'll have to catch up with all the hugs he's missed by disappearing, of course."

Insanity stared at her for a bit before breaking the silence. "I… honestly do not know what to say. Are you really crazy enough not to be worried by the Trail?"

"Oh, silly, I _am_ worried, but I'm worried for my Fearless Leader. And once we get him back, yeah there will have to be long overdue explaining, but it won't be anything to worry about. Especially since you guys won't be around any more." Nora stared back as Valhalla obliterated another Heartbreaker. "Offence fully meant, sorry."

"I don't understand, why are you not worried. We have someone you yourself said you consider your friend. Someone it's weeks you can't check up on because we have him and we've been writing with _his blood_." The Wraith took her weight off her scythe and stabbed the blade into a juvenile Shadow Phobia, which was about as big as a person, before twirling it and bisecting a Heartbreaker in the form of Ren, again, which had come from the mist. "I don't see how you can _not_ be worried."

"Well, it's because you're all bark and no bite, like Weiss would say," replied Nora, going back to using both hammers when another tree came to life thanks to a Geist. Similarly to the first, the second phantom-like Grimm too fell to the combined might of her hammers. "Despite everything you still haven't harmed him, as Ruby can prove since she's personally seen him herself. Why would you harm him now? Had you wanted to, you could've done so a _loooooong_ time ago."

"I… cannot deny your reasoning has some sort of logic to it," admitted Insanity, stabbing her scythe into a Skitter and sending its corpse into another beetle-like Grimm. "So this is it? After everything… it was all for nothing?"

"Well, not exactly for nothing," winced the girl, remembering how _others_ hadn't taken the Trail as lightly as she had. "You probably ruined Jaune's and Pyrrha's friendship even though I'm not sure. Yang too seems pretty pissed though that might be because Ruby and Jaune had sex. Weiss and Blake seem stressed but fine, so I guess you guys didn't really change much. But otherwise you caused a huge mess back in Beacon. You killed half a team, the Headmaster, three quarters of that team of Haven students, a Councilman, and a soldier. Seven people. Plus Keaa Konis, that makes nine. I wouldn't call all of that 'nothing'."

"But eventually our goal is nowhere closer than it was before." Black and white ripples spread through Insanity's cloak, and the Wraith sighed. "I'll leave Death to handle this."

Nora tensed, expecting the Supreme Wraith to attack her immediately.

Instead, the Wraith just walked away, stomping a Skitter while she was at it, without looking back.

 ** _So, when it came to Ren and Nora, they were way more subdued than the others. I guess that to each their own, huh?_**

 ** _Two more chapters, and then it's over guys..._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	47. Death

Ruby Rose twirled her double-bladed scythe above her head and severed a Spectre's head. That kind of Grimm had been the one she had fought the most, if she had to be honest. A few dozen Heartbreakers, a few dozens Skitters and Shadow Phobias too, she had already killed, but the number of Spectres that died by her blade must've reached the hundred by then.

That wasn't a fight to the death, unless by 'death' one counted the Grimm's death, that was just mind-numbingly boring. None of those Grimm had any real chance of hitting her, and even the Heartbreakers didn't fool her as soon as they tried to attack. She hadn't encountered Geists yet, and for that she was thankful, but really all she felt at the moment was boredom.

Also anticipation and anxiety, though.

She knew the Wraiths were interrogating her friends – Death had told her personally just before letting Monarch take over to talk with Weiss. But the Misty Forest was far different from the Arc household. For one, they had new weapons. Secondly, they were already fighting, and Ruby didn't think any of her friends would really hesitate to attack a Wraith if provoked. And thirdly, they were stressed, extremely stressed. That was a dangerous mix indeed.

Four Shadow Phobias crawled out of the mist, each about as big as a full-grown adult, and each required only one swipe from Rosarium to be taken care of. Being a Huntress wasn't all fun and challenges, after all. Even while fighting, there were times when boredom won over everything else. If she had to make a guess, boredom was more likely to kill her than the Grimm themselves. The only strain she felt was from swinging her weapon for so long and even then Aura really helped against physical fatigue.

No screams or cries of pain or shock had come from the mist, so she was kinda sure nothing bad had happened. Of course, she couldn't know for sure, but she certainly hoped nothing had gone wrong. She hoped it wouldn't go wrong right at the last moment.

A rustling sound far different from the noises of the Grimm drew her attention to the mist to her right. A lone figure clad in black walked toward her, with her head kept low and almost uncertain steps. Despite the clear lack of focus, her scythe still caught any Grimm wandering nearby with precision, but the strikes were overextended, without control, almost absent-minded in their lazy arcs.

"Death?" Ruby called out.

 **"…Yes,"** the Wraith replied after a moment, taking a Spectre's life before coming to a stop before the shorter reaper and removing the black mask, revealing haunted blue eyes and pale skin.

Ruby wasn't a genius nor someone who was good at social interactions, yet even her could clearly see there was something wrong with the Supreme Wraith. There was a tiredness in Death's gaze, like someone who had just watched an entire life being swept away by the waves. The Wraith's mouth was set in a harsh grimace, bitter like she'd never seen before. "Hey… I never thought I'd say this, but are you okay?"

 **"…No. But it does not matter. I…"** Death broke off. Blue eyes closed as gloved hands tightened into fists. **"You have played my game 'till the end. I lost, in the end…"** The Wraith's eyes opened again, and Ruby stiffened at the sheer rage sparkling within them. **"In the end it was all for nothing! Everything I've done was for nothing! Every action, every plan, every murder, everything was absolutely for nothing!"**

The Wraith's scythe came up and Ruby barely had the time to dodge when the blade crossed the space where her head was a second before.

 **"And it's all your fault! All YOUR fault! You ruined everything! You took everything away from me! I have nothing because of you! Nothing but frustration and emptiness!"** The blue of Death's eyes was blurry and hazy with tears as the fight went on. Ruby kept dodging, only using her scythe on the wandering Grimm, but otherwise not willing to hurt the Wraith. **"You tricked me! Instead of following the Trail you pushed us away from Jaune Arc! So that we couldn't reach him any more! And now, after all this time, it was all for NOTHING!"**

Death's next swing faltered and fell in mid-arc. The Wraith collapsed in a kneeling position, head kept low and on all fours as sobs were now heard. **"My life, my entire existence was meaningless because of you! Because of you,** _ **I**_ **became meaningless! Hadn't you fought so hard and for so long, had you just relented for a moment, the Trail would've ended on MY terms! Why couldn't you let me do that!"**

"Because we want what's best for Jaune, and _our_ way is better than yours," Ruby explained, eyes narrowing.

 **"It wouldn't have changed anything…"**

"Yes it would. You would've won, Death. And death should never win for as long as life still goes on."

 **"But why? Why did you fight for Jaune Arc so desperately? Was it a sense of duty? Comradeship, maybe? Or was it guilt that drove you to fight as hard as you did, stripping me of my success? Was it because we, the Wraiths, brought pain and sufferance on you? Or was it because you wrongly thought us evil?"** Ruby's eyes softened at the panicked and confused voice of the Wraith, who still was staring at the ground, droplets of tears hitting the pale grass. **"Were you seeking redemption for your mistakes, or did you not think of having made any mistake in the first place? Hatred for us? Love for Jaune Arc? WHAT DROVE YOU TO TAKE EVERYTHING FROM ME?!"**

The pained scream left Death's throat so suddenly, Ruby recoiled at its loudness. Immediately after, the Wraith slumped even more, the black hood almost brushing the grass. Ruby sighed. "I don't know why the others have done it. Guilt certainly had a hand in that, and I'm pretty sure at least Weiss and Blake just felt guilty at first. Maybe their hatred for the Wraith helped. The will to save Jaune was certainly there too." The Wraith's eyes rose to meet her own. "I did it for love. Others did it for friendship. There was no single emotion to drive us."

They remained like that, the Red Reaper and the Black Reaper, still in the now silent forest, for what felt like an eternity. Time and again a Grimm wandered within reach of Rosarium, and every time the scythe didn't fail to kill the monster. The Wraith's tears eventually ran dry, and the figure stood back up.

Ruby bit her lip in anticipation, but she didn't have to wait long.

Clear blue eyes smiled tearily at her from the shadows of a black hood. The same shade of blue, the same pale complexion, the same dark clothes, but a different person altogether.

"Hey Ruby."

/-/

Ruby Rose practically skipped all the way back to the pickup point, and all her friends weren't far behind. Dirt and sweat filthied their outfits, but their spirits were up above the clouds.

Nora and Ren were napping all thorough the ride on Bullhead, their heads resting against the other's… though Ren was bent in a really awkward way that guaranteed a sore neck at the very least upon waking up. Weiss was busy checking something her Scroll, while Blake was reading one of her books – Ruby had _no_ idea where she took it from, and she honestly didn't want to know. Pyrrha was checking her weapons, even though of all of them she was the only one to still have a frown marring her features. Yang was just laying over five seats, legs and arms extended, resting even though she was still awake.

Ruby herself was just waiting on a seat, but she was also practically vibrating in anticipation. She knew Jaune was hidden on the Bullhead, his Semblance making it easy for him to slip onboard unnoticed.

The ride back to Beacon, despite their high morales, was completely uneventful. No Grimm attacked it, probably warded off by their positivity, and overall nothing went ill. Reporting the result of the mission to Ozpin would have to wait, though, because as soon as the Bullhead opened its hatch, the only trace of the seven students were coloured silhouettes were they once stood.

Taking a longer path, Ruby led everyone to the main hall, then up through the library and finally to the dormitories, giving Jaune enough time to _sprint_ all the way back to his dorm and quickly get changed.

When they finally arrived JNPR's dorm, they found three people already there, waiting for them. Ruby had been expecting Professor Torchwick and Neo, but even she was taken aback by Ozpin's presence.

The ten of them stood in the corridor between RWBY's and JNPR's dorm doors, staring silently at each other.

"Students," the Headmaster greeted them.

"Professor Ozpin. Professor Torchwick. Neo," Ruby replied awkwardly, nodding at each of them in some sort of a bow. "Can we… go in?"

"We were about to enter as well, Ms Rose. However, do go on. I can wait a little longer." Ozpin stepped aside and gestured for her to open the door. She did so gingerly, not knowing what to expect.

The dorm was painfully silent, but it wasn't empty. Sitting on the leftmost bed there was Jaune Arc, her boyfriend, the one person they had tried to save for weeks. He didn't look changed at all. He still had the same blond hair cursed to be forever messy, and his eyes were the same shade of blue. He wore grey jeans and a black hoodie with Pumpkin Pete's logo on it, the sight of which almost made Ruby snicker. His armour was nowhere to be seen, probably nowhere to be found too, as there was no backpack or bag in the room, indicating how Jaune's possession were just what he was wearing at the moment.

However similar he was to how he looked before the Wraiths appeared, though, Ruby noticed a few key differences. His eyes weren't bright and sparkly any more, dropping the happy-go-lucky and serene façade, now showing the pain of a less than shiny past. His posture too had changed, no more slumped or slacking or relaxed, but tense and alert, like a spring ready to recoil at the minimum pressure. Ruby's eyes also landed on Eclipsim, or Mortem, or whatever its name really was, the serrated silver-bladed scythe she had clashed against not too long before, looking so innocent and shiny in the light, now cleaned of blood and dirt.

Ruby didn't need words. She didn't even need to hurry. She just walked up the boy, and happily hugged him.

Roman Torchwick and the other girl, Neopolitan, mimicked her actions, joining the now four-people hug. Torchwick was the first to pull away to let the others have their moment too, and he basically had to forcefully drag Neo away. Ruby released the boy almost immediately afterwards, letting him stand up to greet the others.

No one else made a move to hug him, but that was to be expected.

His eyes met Ozpin's and Yang's, and he nodded once to each of them. They both knew, and what was done could never be changed. Whether they would condemn him for it or not, it was up in the air. And it was entirely not in his power to change that.

Weiss and Blake smiled slightly and nodded at him. The two of them hadn't been friends with him before and probably never would, but they were happy to see him alive, and they cared enough to show it. Weiss also seemed on the verge of slapping him silly, but she controlled herself.

Ren and Nora were smiling openly. Ren in his usual calm and controlled way, a wide smile that still couldn't encompass the huge range of emotions the ninja was feeling. Nora was the opposite, her smile instead told him everything, every emotion and every thought hiding behind her cheerful visage.

Pyrrha was the one that hurt the most to look at. She looked relieved to see him alive, of course, but there was wariness and maybe even mistrust in her expression, a frown that dampened her smile as she stood slightly behind the others.

Jaune knew that a proper explanation would take hours so, for starters, he settled for something smaller, but no less important.

"Hey guys. It's good to see you again. I… I want you to know that I'm grateful for having saved me. But, let's not beat around the bush. Not any more. You have all your opinions on me after everything the Wraiths have done or told you, good opinions or bad opinions, or both. I too have my opinions of you. But honestly, that does not matter any more. I'm no more a Beacon student and I seriously doubt I'll ever be one again. So all our opinions, they mean next to nothing now. I'll have to leave soon, as soon as this mess is settled, and whether you wish to get to know me or not is all up to you, just like you can choose whether to keep in touch with me or not. If you do, I think I'd like that. Maybe this time we could actually be friends. If not…" Jaune shrugged weakly. He knew it was a harsh action accompanied by harsh words, but he was honestly fed up being nice. "I don't care. You're entitled your opinion and you're free to judge me however you want. I don't really care if you agree with me, my choices, my opinions, or my motivations. Being scared of being judged is part of what got me in this mess in the first place. Letting my fear of people's opinions affect me way more than I should've. So if this is the last time I see you all, good luck with reaching your goals. You all probably can reach them without me anyway. But if it's not our last meeting…" He stepped right in front of them, and held out a hand at them all. "The name's Jaune Arc Torchwick It's nice to finally meet you."

 ** _So~ Death's total breakdown and defeat. That was kinda hard to write. Then the 'reunion', or should I say, 'first real meeting'?_**

 ** _Like I said in the last chapter's headnote, no single character holds the Truth. I am not aiming to define a mathematical truth and force it on you. Take your conclusions. Who was wrong? Was there anyone wrong at all? Or were they all wrong? Who knows. I have my opinion, in which all are wrong and all are right. You can have yours. You can state your opinion in a review, this story's very open. I show the happenings, but I do not specify any truth. Who knows, maybe Ayace Timber held some truth too. Maybe Keaa Konis and the Arc family too, and Torchwick with Neo._**

 ** _As I said, it's up to you._**

 ** _Next chapter will be the final one, the epilogue. Don't miss it!_**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	48. Epilogue

_Despite Ruby telling me this is a good thing, I'm still not sure whether writing this diary is a good thing or not. Especially a diary containing such secrets. Oh well, it's not like I'm gonna keep it._

 _Let's start with why I'm writing this. Ruby suggested I wrote all what happened up until now and then burned the diary, to help me let go of my past. And since… well, since she's my wife, I thought I could humour her and try this._

 _Where can I start?_

 _Let's start with what happened after Ruby and the others saved me. School went on normally enough, and I went back to Team JNPR. Ozpin allowed me back into Beacon, and protected me from being arrested even though he knew my secret, mentioning something about having saved someone called Amber or something. Whoever she was, she must've been really important to him if he so easily condoned so many murders._

 _During our third year, I told Ren and Nora about my secret. Aside from Ruby and Yang, they are still the only ones to know about it. The others just weren't trustworthy. I wanted to tell Pyrrha, initially, given she was my partner and all, but… things between us fell apart and were never the same. It's eight years or so I don't see her._

 _Ren and Nora were shocked, but oddly enough they accepted it. They said it wasn't my fault and that losing one's family is very traumatic and taxing on the mind. It seemed like they had personal experience in the matter so I just dropped the topic._

 _I never told Blake nor Weiss. Neither was particularly close, and after Blake… after Blake died, Team RWBY became dysfunctional just like JNPR._

 _Let's just say, not everyone got their happy ending._

 _And well, since I'm talking about this, might as well tell you, diary, what happened to all of us._

 _Ren and Nora got engaged during the Trail of Blood, and Nora got pregnant something like a month before graduation. She also declared me her 'Pancake Stealing Best Buddy', though I am not sure how I feel about that. She and Neo hung out sometimes, so that makes me worried. Maybe Neo too will start asking me to steal her pancakes sooner or later. Anyway, the two of them had twins, and boy if Nora didn't punish Ren for having her birth two at the same time. The twins are Thor and Mulan, a boy and a girl. Thor is a male version of Nora, Mulan is a carbon copy of Ren… and believe me, I'm pretty sure she looks more masculine than her father._

 _Pyrrha… as I said, things fell apart with her. She tried to be friends with me, she tried really hard, but I think part of her couldn't get over the fact I lied so completely to all of them. I guess the stress got the better of her, as she left during our third year, after Blake's death. She then joined Atlas Academy. Last I heard, she became teacher of Comradeship and Alliance in Atlas. Guess the trauma did stick after all._

 _Blake… she kinda remained the same. We weren't friends, but we weren't strangers either. I was still saddened to find out she had been killed by the White Fang during out third year, after her death things got really complicated, and it was what caused the biggest fight followed by the longest break-up between me and Ruby._

 _Weiss became a friend, still nowhere near Ren's, Nora's and Ruby's levels, but a friend nonetheless. She became a solo Huntress and got pretty famous. A year ago or so, she lost her legs in an explosion caused by the White Fang, even though she managed to kill Blake's murderer, Adam Taurus. Since then, she began her war to get her family's company out of her father's hands and into hers. She's still fighting it, but I have little doubts about the outcome. She'll win for sure._

 _Yang never forgave me for what I've done, but that's fine. As long as I stayed sane and loyal to Ruby, she was okay with it. We had our fights and there have been moments when her temper almost made her reveal my secret to everyone, but eventually we never butted heads too much. She became a solo Huntress too, seeking thrill and adventure. She went missing this year, declared KIA, but her body was never found so it's possible she's just taking way too much time. Ruby was hit really hard by this, but unfortunately she has experience dealing with loss and so have I, so we got through this together._

 _Ozpin never sold me out, but he did keep a close eye on me. After I began my therapy, he quickly lost interest, though, and just joined Dad in trolling the students._

 _Speaking of Dad, he found out that being a Beacon professor had many perks. As he put it, "I'm being paid finely for basically insulting my students, it's really wonderful. Makes me wonder why I never considered teaching before." Dad and Ms Goodwitch fought so many times there is an arena and two infirmary beds with their names on them. Dad also really likes pranking the students, even though I can't technically prove that._

 _My big sister, Neo, went back to being a criminal, but not just a criminal. Her goal is to conquer all of Vale's underworld and crush it under her heel. While eating ice cream. Thus far, she's managing it wonderfully, with just a bit of advice on Dad's part. She has also bought a toy scythe, mask and cloak to give my yet-to-be-born child for his first birthday. We told her no but she must've spent too much time with Nora, because she ignores even Dad and me now. Further proof is her criminal nickname – the Queen of Under Vale._

 _Ruby and I stayed together all thorough Beacon, even though we had break-ups and fights, we always went back to each other. After graduation we got married, but while she went to work as a Huntress, I chose to settle down. After three years of biweekly sessions with a psychiatrist as well as severe medicines for the first months, I eventually finished my therapy and I joined my dear Ruby in Hunter business. It didn't last long, though. A year and a half later, I got my arm mauled by an Ancient Deathstalker. Damn thing almost tore it off at the elbow. I don't think I've ever seen Ruby that mad, she did her weird thing with her eyes and dragged me off to the nearest hospital. I blacked out halfway there, she was so worried._

 _After that, Dad got me a cybernetic forearm. I asked for a simple one, but as usual he overdid it, saying that 'his boy was not getting anything but the best'. So now I have this arm that is also a clock, a portable computer, a Scroll, and some kind of plasma gun – though Dad said my wife was the one to add that last thing. So now I'm still in rehabilitation, though it'll take a month or so more before I'm actually allowed back into missions. That doesn't matter any more._

 _Why? Because I'm gonna be a father._

 _Ruby and I found out at the beginning of my rehabilitation therapy, and I'm glad we did so soon. Unlike Ren and Nora we only have one, but we're not planning to stop now that we've begun. I just hope Nora isn't right – I don't wanna beat my mother's record of eight children. Ruby would probably kill me if I put eight children in her. Yup, totally kill me._

 _Her name will be Summer Rouge RoseArc. Ruby was adamant on naming her Summer, and I surely didn't relent on Rouge, so she'll get both. Neo wanted us to give her Dad's surname too, but I don't think going around with the surname of Vale's former most wanted is going to be good for her._

 _As for me… well, things got better. Truly better, not just like what happened when Dad took me in after I killed Konis. And I can't wait to be dad, but I'm kinda terrified too._

 _As for the Wraiths… they reached their goal, and disappeared. Time and again Nora, Neo or Dad still joke about it, but otherwise no one even mentions them any more._

 _It's… I guess it's all over._

/-/

Jaune sighed as he placed the pen down and looked at the words-filled pages. Had it helped? He didn't really know. The act of spreading ink on paper hadn't soothed his nerves, but there had been something calming in being able to just put his past years on paper. He had remained very vague, of course, just in case someone did manage to steal his diary or he somehow lost it. The chances were minimal – but when one had a secret like the Wraiths, it was better being safe than sorry.

His eyes moved to the left, and he took the old, cracked black mask from the desk. Memories of the time passed wearing it flashed through his mind, but they did not bother him any more. He turned it in his hands, examining every crack before exhaling softly. There weren't really many memories associated to that mask, but the few that were bound to it were important. Very important. They defined part of who he was.

He dropped the mask and rubbed his eyes, the cool metal of his cybernetic left hand soothing his nerves. "Here goes nothing," he whispered to himself, grabbing the mask and the diary and heading out in the garden, taking the time to admire the small house they lived in. It wasn't isolated like Ruby's childhood home, but it wasn't in a city either.

As opposite to her father's cabin, which was made of wood, theirs was made of wood and bricks, giving it a weird look between rustic and comfy. The inner walls were painted soft grey, not too dark but not too bright, with drawings of trees and flowers that made them look like a closed garden. There wasn't much in terms of furniture – they didn't even have a TV, even though his father had insisted about it multiple times. Just a sofa, a table with a few wooden chairs, and a small open kitchen attached to the dining room.

He went out in the garden and smiled at his wife. The two of them hadn't changed much thorough the years – he had yet to grow a beard – but her pregnancy showed through the bulge in her stomach. She was currently at the sixth month, and aside from the usual stuff, there hadn't been any problem.

His beloved Ruby smiled back at him from the fire she was preparing, the one they would burn his mask and diary on – and also cook dinner on, later. The thought of a barbecue was too irresistible.

Roman Torchwick seemed to appear from thin air, smacking his back with a grin. "Well well well, isn't it the birthday boy?"

"It's not my birthday, dad." Of course it wasn't. His birthday had been almost five months before – the day Ruby had told him she was pregnant. It had been the best birthday present ever – and the worst too. He had spent half the day panicking and shaking his father for advice, and the other half hugging Ruby halfway to death.

"It doesn't matter, because today is the day Jaune Soleil RoseArc Torchwick is reborn anew!" exclaimed the man, and Neo -who was suddenly on Jaune's other side, worryingly- nodded energetically.

"That's so cool, Jauney, it means you'll have two birthdays from now on!" Of course, trust Nora to say something like that. She and Ren were present too, having left their children to Ozpin's care. How they had convinced the old man to babysit them, he didn't know, but he was pretty sure Nora hadn't given him a real choice. Ren smiled and nodded at him.

"I don't think it works like that, Nora," laughed Jaune, shrugging off Roman and Neo and continuing his walk to the fire. Stopping before the dancing flames, he leaned down to kiss his wife. "Thanks for this, Ruby. I'm not sure if it helped, but I can definitely say I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," she smiled back. "Anything to give you closure."

Closure.

Jaune stared at the objects held in his hands as the word echoed in his head. Could it really be that easy? Just closure? The fire _was_ the symbol of purification. He stared down at his mask and diary. His hand didn't tremble, nor he was tempted to step back from the bonfire. He was over it, he knew. He had accepted what had happened, and he could live with it. He had come to terms with his past.

Maybe that little ritual wasn't necessary, but maybe -like writing that diary- it didn't need to be useful to be appreciated.

He felt Ruby's hand worm its way into his own, and he felt her tug at his arm so that she could place his hand on her pregnant belly before laying her head on his arm. He felt his father laying a hand on his shoulder, and Neo hugging him from behind. Ren and Nora were giving the family space, but he knew they were with him too.

 _'No more murders.'_

He tossed the diary and the mask into the fire.

 _'No more madness.'_

The two objects hit the burning wood and displaced a log before falling in the red-hot embers.

 _'No more voices.'_

Fire was quick to latch onto them, blackening the paper until no words were visible any more.

 _'No more Wraiths.'_

They could barely see the shapes of the diary and the mask through the layer of fire that covered them, reducing them to crisps.

 _'A new life, with my family.'_

 ** _And it's over. It's really, finally over. After almost a year, Trail of Blood has reached its end._**

 ** _I must say, I didn't expect for this to become this liked when I first wrote it - even though now Extension is very close to surpassing it, and it has a third of the chapters. Back then, I was still new of this site. I can't say this is everything I wanted from this story, far from it. There are cringy parts, and useless parts, some plot devices, and in some chapters too much OoCness for me to be really okay with, but I can't say I'm not satisfied. It's not my best work, it's not my worst, it is definitely something I learned a lot from. At least in that, this story has been important for me._**

 ** _Before I post this, I want to thank a few authors. CrazyLich79, who made it a personal rule to be the first to review every new chapter - even if he didn't always manage it, I appreciate the enthusiasm. lordrednight, who always had a pun ready whether I liked it or not. Secretly, I'll admit I appreciate his reviews. LordHellPhoenix, who helped me a few times writing this. We actually began chatting thanks to this story, and now I like to think we're friends. Long-distance friends. Also 77coke, Sm0keyPanda, Xealchim (who still has to accept PMs if they ask questions ^^), Ultimate Kuuga, and many others who had read and reviewed all thorough this story. Couldn't have done it without you all, guys!_**

 ** _Because believe me when I say, unless some rare cases, the perseverance of an author is equal to the amount of support they receive._**

 ** _And with this parting pearl of wisdom, I'm out._**

 ** _Until next story,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


	49. Omake - Jokes

**_Hey everyone! No, this is not a real chapter, more like a collection of tiny Omakes. Basically, jokes. Jokes between me and CrazyLich79, back when I was pretending the Wizard in Ch42 was Ozpin. So we began to joke about what would've happened, had he really died. Some of these jokes are independant from Trail of Blood of course, just jokes for the sake of jokes, but most are Ozpin/Oscar situations. Enjoy a bit of humour after all this dark fic!_**

 ** _Warning, these are not to take seriously, and are not canon to Trail of Blood's universe, okay?_**

Oscar: "You're not real! You're not real!"  
Ozpin: "That's what I thought too. Until they killed me. I can assure you, I'm as real as you are. Now let's move. We have a bunch of psychotic murderers to stop. Are you up to it?"  
Oscar: "NO!"  
Ozpin: "Good. Let's go."

######  
*Oscar arrives to Beacon*  
Oscar: "Okay... now, where should I go?*  
Ozpin: "Oh well, since you can't be a professor any more, I guess we'll ask Glynda to accept you in as a student under that a*** Timber's nose. Oh, and one more thing: don't go in the basement. Don't walk around alone, and absolutely not when the halls are dark."  
*Oscar shivers*: "Will that keep me safe?"  
Ozpin: "...no."

######  
Oscar: "Hey, Ozpin, I know you told me to try and avoid the Wraith, but what should I do in case I meet one?"  
Ozpin: "Oh, well, you could try to turn and run. Or, given their immateriality, you could try to run through them and flee. Or you could even try to fight, if you want, and then run."  
Oscar: "And what would be the result of those actions?"  
Ozpin: "You die. You die. You die."

######  
Oscar: "Hey, Ozpin, there's someone who wants to speak with you."  
Ozpin: "Oh, finally Qrow has found where those b*** hid my cane?"  
Oscar: "...last time I checked, they still have found only your left hand, much less your corpse or your cane."  
Ozpin: "Is it Glynda? I'm so bored I would rather do paperwork than anything else..."  
Oscar: "Professor Goodwitch is... I think giving detention to a group of first years."  
Ozpin: "That's her favourite hobby. Is it that idiot, Timber?"  
Oscar: "I don't think so. They say to be called Death. They want to speak with you."  
Ozpin: "I'm not home at the moment, please call again later on."

######  
Ozpin (player): "Okay, now let's use Move Silently and Hide!"  
*Ozpin rolls the die*  
Ozpin: "YES! Natural 18!"  
Oscar (character): *sneaks into a dark corridor*  
DM: "Ozpin, a Listen check, please."  
Ozpin: "What? Oh, well, with my roll I'm sure no one has heard me... A natural 20! I'm lucky tonight, am I not?"  
*DM rolls some dice* DM: "Oh, yeah, you're lucky. Your check is successful. You can hear the hiss of a blade cutting through air and then your neck as the Wraiths gets you. Again. It's the fourth character you lose. Always in the Beacon basement. I told you not to go there."  
*Ozpin tears Oscar Pine's character sheet to shreds* Ozpin: "New character! He's called Ozcar Pynn! Wizard class!"  
*DM sighs and facepalms*

######  
Oscar: "Hey, Ozpin, you said you were killed, right?"  
Ozpin: "Yeah..." *sighs* "...pretty badly too. Why?"  
Oscar: "How did you die?"  
Ozpin: "Do you remember the rules I told you to follow? Never the basement, never when it's dark and stay with people? Also don't trust any shadow, no matter the size or shape?"  
Oscar: "Yeah, I remember them."  
Ozpin: "Well, I didn't."

######  
Oscar: "Ozpin, what's this disgusting stuff?"  
Ozpin, outraged: "Disgusting?! DISGUSTING?! This, boy, is the most delicious coffee of all Remnant! It is MY coffee!"  
Oscar scoffs: "Oh, that's it then. I hate coffee." *makes to throw it away*  
Ozpin: "No, wait, what are you doing, heretic!?"  
Oscar: "I'm throwing it away. I'll ask Goodwitch to bring me a tea later. She looks like a tea woman herself..."  
Ozpin: "No! Coffee... coffee will make you live longer!"  
Oscar: "If what you said is true, then I'll live for far longer than any human nonetheless."  
Ozpin: "Coffee will make you able to get any woman you want!"  
Oscar: "I'm sixteen, Ozpin. Despite popular belief, not all sixteens lust for women."  
Ozpin: "Coffee will prevent the Wraiths from ripping your insides out and hanging them to the wall like a garland!"  
*SLURP!*  
Oscar, ominously: "Where can I find more?"

######  
Oscar: "Ozpin, have you ever regretted a decision in your life so much you think it's gonna kill you?"  
Ozpin: "The decision?"  
Oscar: "No, the regret."  
Ozpin: "Oh, well, last time was when I took a walk after hours and the Wraiths got me. Last moment I remember, I think I saw my heart. And it wasn't in my chest. Yeah, that I regret. Why?"  
Oscar: "Nothing. I'm just regretting letting you talk me into having a walk after hours."  
Ozpin: "Ah, don't worry... is that a shadow?"  
Oscar: "It has a scythe... I don't think it's a shadow."

###### (this ain't really nice, heads up)  
Yang is facing Hatred.  
Yang: "Ah, no! MY correlated Wraith is Wrath! Get out of here!"  
Hatred crawls out of the room in shame... and becomes Shame.

######  
*At Vero's funeral*  
Ayace Timber: "Today, we gather here to mourn the loss of our student, Vero Tear. Tears will fall from our eyes..."  
Wraith, in the shadows: "Not exactly from your eyes, but they did fall."  
*after a bit of talking* A. Timber: "Now that our words are gone, let us shed tears for the fallen."  
Wraith: "Well, we didn't as much shed as SHRED Tears, but whatever."  
Cinder, to Emerald: "If these Wraiths like so much to make fun of the surnames of the ones they kill, maybe it's better if I leave Beacon for a while..."

######  
Madness: "Hey, Agony, do you know what Ozpin needs?"  
Agony: "Ehm... no?"  
Madness: "A COFFin!"  
*Agony wails and stabs himself.*

######  
Uknown person: "So... you say we're gonna live forever, right?"  
Ozpin: "More or less..."  
Oscar: "Don't believe him! You won't live at all if you follow his suggestions!"  
Ozpin: "Come on, I just told you go to the basement! It's not my fault you got mauled!"  
Unknown person: "Uh..."

###### (these are no more from Trail of Blood)  
*at lunch*  
Ruby: "Hey, Jaune, how's training going?"  
Jaune: "Well... not too bad, but Pyrrha's far too strong for me. I should probably train against someone closer to my level."  
Weiss: "Arc, the closest to your level here at Beacon is the mirror."  
A day later, Jaune discovers his Semblance: Mimicry.  
Weiss: "How's that possible?!"  
Jaune: "But Weiss, you said to train with the mirror. I'm just mirroring your powers!"

######  
Ozpin: "Don't hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die."  
Goodwitch: "Sir, the ominous voice isn't having any effect..."  
Ozpin frowns: "And, by the way, if you don't destroy everything in your path, Beacon won't serve you chocolate for the rest of your time here."  
*Students faint*'

######  
*in the library, 23 of December*  
Yang: "Hey Weiss, can you pass me that pen?"  
*no answer nor movement*  
Yang: "Tsk, Ruby, your partner is Weiss cold."  
Ruby, looking up from her comic: "Yang, that's an ice sculpture for Dustmas."

 ** _And that's it. I know, not as many as you were expecting, but hey, this is just me copy-pasting PMs, not really writing a chapter. ;)_**


End file.
